BIO

David Kuria Mbote:

Executive Director
Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya

David Kuria Mbote was born in Thika, Kenya in 1974. He went to Catholic school growing up and at an early age
had decided to go into the seminary to become a priest. With many offers from around the world to engage his
incredible intellect, David decided to stay at home and honor his country and the many needs there including
poverty and HIV/AIDS reduction. After receiving his MBA and running his own business for several years, he
decided he had had enough with strict laws and social boundaries that prevented him and others from living their
lives fully. It was then that David and his friends decided that they needed to do something about the 100 year old
colonial penal codes criminalizing homosexuality which impacted their lives every day. David Kuria Mbote is
currently serving as the Executive Director of the Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya. As one of the original
founders, David has been instrumental in challenging homophobia throughout Kenya by establishing coalitions
between groups who work on similar issues; working closely with representatives of government, including the
Kenyan Human Rights Commission; and raising awareness about LGBTI issues amongst a diverse subset of
stakeholders. David has assisted in the development of GALCK to become a leading advocacy group addressing the
many needs of LGBTI people in Kenya.

Given the amount of success that David has achieved, he has also
become a target by many who oppose the work that he is doing. In
particularly, faith based leaders throughout Kenya have condemned
GALCKS work and have targeted David in many ways. Most recently in
the Spring of 2010, an Evangelical group based out of the United States
created fliers with David’s photo, name, personal contact information
and a biblical quote, which were then distributed by partner
organizations throughout Kenya in Matatu’s and in public places. While
placing David in grave danger, this action only compelled David to
continue his efforts to support LGBTI populations throughout Kenya and
to be the leading advocate for the decriminalization of homosexuality
within his country.

Today, David continues to take strong stances in support of LGBTI

populations and speaks out about rising HIV/AIDS rates amongst MSM’s
in Eastern Africa as well as the Human Rights of all people and the need
for Justice in all corners of the world. David was recently asked to
present at the 2010 World AIDS conference in Vienna as well as many regional efforts to address HIV/AIDS
throughout Africa. David is also running for Senator of the Kiambu County to draw attention to issues that he cares
about and be an advocate for all people in his community. He is here in the US to raise concerns about supporting
LGBTI populations as a way to tackle major social ails within communities and to shed light on LGBTI human rights
abuses in Kenya. He also has incredible insight into the best practices of LGBTI Advocacy in East Africa, and possibly
throughout the world.

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