Kenyan gay activist ‘Wainaina’ dies at 47

Veteran Kenyan author and firebrand gay rights activist Binyavanga Wainana has died.

Wainana, founder of literary magazine Kwani, passed on at the Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi on the night of Tuesday, May 22, at around 10pm.

Confirming his death, Wainana’s family indicated the 47-year-old activist died of stroke.

According to one of his friends on social media, Michael Olweny, the activist first suffered stroke sometimes back in 2016.

Olweny claimed the deceased was set to do a documentary on homosexuality and always asked Kenyans to speak openly on the thorny issue.

Wainana made headlines in January 2014 when he publicly announced his sexual orientation during launch of his controversial book, I am a homosexual mom.

The fallen activist was also Kenya’s first openly gay man to talk candidly about his life, his trials and triumphs as well as his HIV status.

The activist was back in the news again in May 2019 when he revealed he was planning to wed his longtime lover from Nigeria.