Kenya’s Court of Appeal has overturned its decision to ban Rafiki, the groundbreaking 2018 drama that depicts a lesbian romance between two Kenyan women.

The Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) banned the film in April 2018 due to its “homosexual theme and clear intent to promote lesbianism in Kenya contrary to the law”. The decision came after director Wanuri Kahiu declined to give in to demands to change the ending, which the board deemed too positive.

Following outrage from LGBTQIA+ activists, Kahiu sued the Kenyan government. A temporary seven-day lift on the ban allowed the film to be screened and made it eligible for submission as Kenya’s entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. 

Although it was not ultimately selected, Rafiki broke box office records in Kenya – at the time, it became the country’s second highest-grossing film ever.