31 March 2023
4.00 pm – 5.30 pm (Nairobi Time)
Overbroad and vague laws that criminalize HIV transmission have had negative impacts on public health responses and continuously created an environment for the violation of the rights of persons living with HIV. Evidence indicates that criminalization makes effective HIV testing, treatment and disclosure harder; and it increases stigma and discrimination. Such laws also spread misinformation about HIV.
The Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network on HIV and AIDS (KELIN) in collaboration with Uganda Network on Law Ethics and HIV/AIDS (UGANET), HIV Justice Network, AYARHEP and Lean on Me Foundation will on 31st March 2023 host a webinar to sensitize the public on why laws criminalizing HIV undermines the HIV response. Panelists on the webinar will discuss the recent Nairobi High Court decision to dismiss Petition No. 447 of 2018: EM & 6 Others Versus the Attorney General & Director of Public Prosecutions which challenged Section 26 of the Sexual Offences Act No. 3 of 2006, a section of the law that criminalizes deliberate transmission and/or exposure of life-threatening sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV; and why the manner in which the court has interpreted Section 26 of the Sexual Offences Act poses harm to persons living with HIV. Additionally, panelists will discuss a similar judgement from Uganda, Constitutional Petition No. 24 of 2016: UGANET & 2 Others Versus Attorney General, filed by UGANET, that challenged sections 18(e), 41, 43 and 44 of the HIV Prevention and Control Act, 2015 whose interpretation imposes stringent punishments for HIV nondisclosure, exposure and transmission. Other panelists will elaborate on why the public should be concerned and advocate against laws that criminalize HIV, exacerbate gender-based violence, and their impact on people living with HIV and the public at large.
The moderated webinar conversation will take place on 31st March 2023 from 4.00 pm to 5.30 pm (Nairobi Time).
Panelists:
1. Nyokabi Njogu, Legal Counsel at KELIN
2. Immaculate Owomugisha, UGANET
3. Alison Symington, HIV Justice WorldWide
4. Jerop Limo, AYARHEP
5. Maureen Murenga, Lean on Me
Moderator: Timothy Wafula, KELIN
