He is still waiting to see if he will be sent back to Kenya, where he fears persecution.

A gay rugby player in the UK who is facing deportation back to Kenya has been saved from eviction by two anonymous donors.

Kenneth Macharia plays for the Bristol Bisons and is claiming asylum for fear of anti-gay violence in his home country. As an asylum seeker, he has been unable to work, and is being supported by his 69-year-old mother, who works as a nurse and has British citizenship.

While he is busy fighting to stay in the UK, having recently been granted a reprieve after thousands signed a petition in support of him, he was informed he owed £219 to cover council tax from January until March 2019 on his flat in Glastonbury, Somerset, which he said he was unable to pay due to having no no income, BBC reports.

He was also told he does not qualify for a discount because he is an asylum seeker. That’s when the donors stepped up to help Macharia in his time of need.

“They contacted the team chairman and they’ve paid until June next year,” he said. “I didn’t expect it but the support gives me hope.”

“While we cannot comment on individual cases, we can confirm that where a person is currently seeking asylum, they do not meet the criteria for council tax support,” a council spokeswoman told The Guardian.

Macharia claimed asylum in 2016, but that request was denied.

Kenyan activists are hopeful the country’s colonial-era anti-gay sodomy law will soon be overturned, but that remains to be seen and stigma against the community persists.

Refugees held the country’s first Pride parade this year, but participants in that march reported feeling intimidated in the following days, with threatening messages pinned to notice boards throughout the camp.

Macharia spoke with reporters in November after learning he was granted a reprieve.





