Gay, alcohol and preservatives: understand censorship in Kenya

Nairobi - A passionate kiss between two young people in an ad for Coca-Cola sparked controversy about morality in Kenya. Using the banner of protection of the traditional family values, the authorities opted for the hard line: censor ads with condoms, alcohol or sexual innuendo.

Or on television or radio, or on billboards, or on the internet. No space escapes the new legislation made by the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB), the regulatory body that monitors the audiovisual content to fit the "national values".

"Advertisements should not undermine the importance of the family as the basic unit of society," he claimed the director general of KFCB, Ezekiel Mutua, in announcing the new and controversial regulation will come into force in July.

In order to "promote national moral values", condoms and other contraceptive products that do not disclose "public health message," alcohol, half-naked bodies and sexual language are banned in all ads from 5am to 22h.

Kenya in talks with international companies like Google and Netflix to address this new national regulation because those who disobey will be punished.

The reactions were not long in coming. Social networks were burned quickly to denounce the hypocrisy in the country where sexuality is still a taboo (only out door), but where it is almost impossible to find a movie poster that does not have a high content of violence.

They are also frequent in the local press sections in which experts talk openly about sex, infidelities and a couple of problems that disrupt family life.

Some Kenyans played on Twitter trying to guess the next surprise KFCB: ban horror movies because viewers could be frightened.

"We are not limiting the constitutional freedoms. We just want to ensure the moral values ​​in advertising," Mutual said, rebutting the criticism.

This is not the first time that the authorities intervene in the media to censor "offensive" scenes on the pretext of protecting the public.

The passionate kiss Coca-Cola has finally eliminated the announcement, while the music video "Same Love," in which gay and lesbian couples were asking for equality against homophobia on the continent was totally prohibited.

"It's time for new laws, no new wars. We share the same pain and the same skin. Let us judge less and love more," the song says.

The KFCB not only censored the video in Kenyan territory but asked Google withdrawal YouTube claiming he disrespected his legislation.

The company ignored the request, and the video went viral on social networks, where the hashtag #KenyanGayVideo met several criticisms against the government and multiple claims for love and equality.

Kenyans seem tired of the paternalistic attitude with which the government camouflages censorship, for example, movies like "Fifty Shades of Grey", vetoed the film for "its prolonged and explicit sexual scenes."

Also not passed the censorship of the authorities "The Wolf of Wall Street" to contain "extreme scenes of nudity, sex, alcohol, drugs and profanity."

The measure, however, caused the opposite effect: the selling pirated movie shot and moviegoers massively downloaded this production, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, which received five Academy Award nominations.

Kenyans use the Internet to fight against censorship and claim the other side of Kenya: the tolerance.

The new guidelines will also affect the political KFCB: degrading advertising policies figures and the use of derogatory language were also prohibited.

The country will hold presidential elections next year, and it seems that KFCB want to have everything well tied up there. The stakes are high: morality and freedom of expression, for example.