Agnes Anyango's experience with her intersex child, born in 1996, highlights the difficulties faced by families in Kenya. Despite the child's unclear sex, Anyango was left with a question mark on the birth card, marking the beginning of a journey of confusion, stigma, and poverty. Anyango's story illustrates the gaps in institutions and social attitudes that turn difference into shame. Her search for help took her from Siaya County to Nairobi in 1997, where she struggled to find appropriate medical assistance.
Kenya has taken steps to recognize and include intersex individuals, including the 2019 national census, which recorded 1,524 intersex people. The Children Act 2022 also amended the birth registration framework to require details of an intersex child and person. However, recognition in law does not automatically mean understanding at a hospital, acceptance in a community, protection at school, or opportunity in adulthood. Jedidah Wakonyo Waruhiu, who has worked on intersex rights in Kenya, says such experiences expose longstanding gaps in addressing intersex issues.
The intersex task force examined issues including discrimination, healthcare, bodily integrity, and unnecessary medical interventions. The census provided another milestone, but it also raised questions about livelihoods and inclusion. An analytical report by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics found that 52 per cent of the intersex population covered in its analysis were unemployed, inactive, or had no work available to them in the week preceding the census.
Isaac Mwaura, Head of the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Disability Rights, says the census was significant, confirming that every county has people who identify as intersex. Mwaura sees it as a big win, as it means intersex people are recognized, and their rights must be safeguarded. However, being counted does not necessarily mean being heard, as reflected in the experience of Tweheyo Peter Kahana, a retired Ugandan teacher who traveled to Nairobi for the African Intersex Movement Conference.
Kahana's child was born in 1996 in southwestern Uganda and was recorded as male, but later identified as neither male nor female. The family faced cultural stigma, with some people regarding the birth as a curse or an abomination. Kahana saw his child differently and sought medical advice in Kampala, but could not afford testing. He decided not to make an irreversible choice on behalf of his child, allowing them to decide their identity.
The challenges extended into school, where Kahana's child faced questions and name-calling after discovering differences in communal washrooms. The family eventually connected with a Ugandan organization supporting people with congenital disorders, which provided counselling and workshops to gain confidence. Today, Kahana says his child is approaching 30 and remains unemployed, highlighting the need for economic inclusion and support.
The African Intersex Movement Conference, held in Nairobi from September 30 to October 2, brought together intersex activists, community members, healthcare providers, researchers, policymakers, and allies from across the continent. Discussions covered bodily autonomy, healthcare, legal recognition, policy reform, community organizing, and movement-building. For Obioma Chukwuike, an intersex advocate from Nigeria, the conference was significant because intersex people were defining their own agenda.
Key points
- Intersex individuals in Kenya face challenges despite recognition in law
- Economic inclusion and support are crucial for intersex individuals
- The African Intersex Movement Conference highlights the need for bodily autonomy and healthcare for intersex individuals
