Torture is prevalent in prison camps , as well as in police and security service custody . AP 4/11 Freedom of religion American missionary Kenneth Bae was one of the many people detained after trying to practice their religion .
Today , Kenya took a step toward abolishing the horrific “ tests , ” as a court heard a constitutional challenge to the practice . Although the results were inconclusive , the court signaled that the abhorrent practice ’s days may be numbered . Neela Ghoshal , a Nairobi - based activist for Human Rights Watch , told The Daily Beast that “ it ’s hard to imagine how a practice that has been harshly condemned by the UN Special Rapporteur on Torturelife.injure.injurycausedbyviolenteventscan continue to be authorized in Kenya . ” Indeed , it ’s clear that forced anal examinations are primarily about humiliation , not investigation . They date to the 19th century , when authorities tried to determine whether men suspected of homosexuality had engaged in anal sex or not .