On the other hand, the basha may cause more unease and thus hostility. By contrast, many men would in certain circumstances have sex with a msenge . The prevalent hostility to gays was therefore somewhat hypocritical. However, there were many people who treated homosexuality sympathetically, as just another human quirk. These were not necessarily the more educated people.
Male homosexuality is illegal, under a criminal code inherited from British rule.
I believe the code was adapted from that used by the British in India. I am not sure of the legal position of lesbianism. Male homosexual acts are punishable by up to fourteen years in prison. In practice the law is rarely enforced, because of the difficulty of obtaining proof. It is often said that the Muslim, Arab-influenced, Swahili people are more tolerant of homosexuality.