LEFT: Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) chief executive Ezekiel Mutua. RIGHT: Hey Arnold, one of the cartoon programmes that has been banned.

LEFT: Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) chief executive Ezekiel Mutua. RIGHT: Hey Arnold, one of the cartoon programmes that has been banned.





The Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) chief executive Ezekiel Mutua has banned six cartoon programmes aired by Pay-TV service provider Multichoice DStv.

Mr Mutua, in a statement, termed the content of the programmes as “normalising, glamorising or even glorifying homosexual behavior.”

He explained that the board received complaints from the public, and upon investigation, found that they contravened classification guidelines.

The six programmes include Loud House, the Legend of the Korra and Hey Arnold, which are animation children programs available on Nickelodeon (DSTV).

The others are Clarance, Steven Universe and Adventure Time available on Cartoon Network.

WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT

“The board has written to Multichoice Limited, the owners of DSTV, to cease with immediate effect the airing of such obnoxious and inappropriate material that targets children and seeks to impair their moral judgement on the institution of family.

“We urge parents to monitor the kids programmes on pay TV Channels and inform the board of any unpalatable content,” wrote Mr Mutua.

The KFCB chief executive reasoned that homosexuality in against the country’s moral values and distribution of such content should be prohibited.

“Article 11 of our Constitution recognises culture as the foundation of the nation and the cumulative civilisation of the Kenyan people. Homosexuality is not our culture and children must be protected from such foreign retrogressive and bizzare practices.

OPPOSITE SEX

“Marriage is a union between two people of the opposite sex and attempt by the media to teach our children that a man marrying another man is ok must be condemned,” wrote Mr Mutua.

The board in 2016 wrote to search engine giant Google to take down a pro-gay music video from YouTube. The video is still available on YouTube after Google Kenya, in a response letter, stated it had no capacity to control content because the Kenyan branch does not administer services on the music site.