Ban on film depicting women’s love story to resume in Kenya

NAIROBI, Kenya – A lawyer says the first Kenyan feature film to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival has gotten overwhelming audience support since a court temporarily lifted a ban imposed by censors over the film’s gay content.

Sofia Leteipan says “Rafiki” went from being screened once a day in one theatre in Nairobi on Sept. 22 to three daily screenings at theatres in three of Kenya’s largest cities as of Friday.

Leteipan represents director Wanuri Kahiu. The court ruled her film, a love story featuring two women, could be viewed locally for one week to make it eligible for Oscar contention. The ban will resume after Sunday showings.

Ezekiel Mutua, the head of the Kenya Film Classification Board, says only “a small portion” of the country’s population has seen it.