Does the law apply to Cameroon president’s lesbian daughter?

Brenda Biya challenges norms around sexuality in conservative Cameroon

COMMENTARY

By Steeves Winner

At 28 years old, Brenda Biya—daughter of Cameroon President Paul Biya—made a notable appearance alongside her mother, Chantal Biya, during the March 8 International Women’s Day Parade in the capital, Yaoundé. Her presence highlights a paradox: how can a public figure who openly embraces her homosexuality occupy the presidential tribune in a country where such an orientation is criminalized?

Article 347-1 of the Cameroonian Penal Code stipulates a prison sentence of six months to five years for any homosexual relationship. This provision, a legacy of the post-colonial era, is framed as a means of protecting social values ​​against practices perceived as having been imposed during the colonial period.

The criminalization of homosexuality is rooted in a desire to break with the colonial legacy. Today, it remains a powerful marker of identity, explaining the sensitivity surrounding this subject within Cameroonian society.

Two hypotheses are currently circulating: either this was an oversight by the president’s civil cabinet, or it was a deliberate decision by First Lady Chantal Biya to insist upon her daughter’s presence. In either scenario, the lack of any reaction from security services raises questions regarding the decision-making channels at the very highest levels of the state.

Brenda Biya, who was educated in Europe, is often perceived as being out of touch with local realities. Her lifestyle choices—along with her highly publicized coming-out in 2024—fuel criticism regarding the influence of Western culture and the cultural alienation of the presidential couple’s children.

This affair raises significant legal and political questions: Does the law apply equally to everyone? Should the public prosecutor’s office intervene? In the long term, some opposition figures are already considering using this episode as grounds for potential legal action against the presidential family.

Brenda Biya’s presence in the official stand illustrates the dilemma between modernity and tradition. For many, she symbolizes a provocation that highlights the tensions between openness to international norms and the defense of local values.

Steeves Winner, the author of this article, is a Cameroonian journalist who writes under a pseudonym. Contact him at steeves.w@yahoo.com.