Kenyan police have arrested a man accused of blackmailing gay men.

On Monday (6 May), suspect Hillary Oleshawa was arrested in a Nairobi downtown bar following a tip off from local gay activists.

He is accused of luring unsuspecting gay men on the promise of a date online, abducting them and extorting money and property.

By threatening to reveal their sexuality to their friends and family, he allegedly forced his victims to give him money in exchange for their freedom.

Kenya’s Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and National Gay and Lesbian Rights Commission (NGLHRC) have launched an annual awards ceremony to celebrate the contributions of LGBT people to Kenyan society and to celebrate allies of the LGBT community in Kenya.

The launch of the awards was to take place today at Nairobi’s Charter Hall and would also honour pro-LGBT employers and journalists who dealt with LGBT issues in a fair and balanced manner.

David Kuria, an openly gay man, will be facing an election on March, 2013 for the position of Senator of Kenya’s Kiambu County.

Kuria was the co-founder and general manager of the Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya (GALCK), and intends to use this experience for the advantage of his electorate.

This is exceptional in a country where sexual acts between men are illegal under the Kenyan statutes and carry a maximum penalty of 14 years' imprisonment.

Three lesbian women were brutally assaulted and sexually molested in downtown Nariobi, the capital of Kenya.

Identity Kenya reported and independently verified the three women spent the night together in the same bed and were attacked by two men last Thursday (16 August).

The assailants, known as ‘Herb’ working at a local bar, and ‘Blacki’, a khat (stimulant drug) dealer reportedly knew the women.

Kenyan Catholic bishops are saying they will oppose any efforts to recognize ‘new teachings’ such as same-sex marriage and contraception.

The comments come after a newspaper article reported the African country is one of the countries signed up to a new $4.2 billion (£2.68b, €3.11b) drive to promote family planning services, as reported by LGBT portal Identity Kenya.

Kenya is to have a gay pride for the first time but it’s not being organized by local LGBT people – instead it’s being put on by the US embassy.

American officials have invited local lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender activists and dignitaries to the event on 26 June at their embassy in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.

But some gay campaigners on the ground have spoken out against it, warning they may face a backlash from the Kenyan public and threatening a boycott.

According to unconfirmed reports a lesbian who was being held hostage by her parents committed suicide in desperation last night in Kenya.

The woman, identified as Joan Sandy Achieng, was living and working in Nairobi until her parents discovered her sexuality, which led them to hold her hostage and marry her off to an older man.

A gay man was stoned to death in a Nairobi slum last month after a mob found him having sex with a colleague.

It was confirmed today (9 June) the two men were beaten by a mob on 19 May when they were caught behind a Catholic Church, described as ‘deserted with bushes and a dumping site’.

One managed to escape after being hit by a large rock in the back, but the other was held down and stoned to death by a baying crowd.