NAIROBI, May 24 (Reuters) - Kenya's high court on Friday upheld a law banning gay sex, keeping same sex relations punishable by 14 years in jail in the East African nation and drawing strong criticism from the United Nations and rights activists.

Same-sex relationships are a crime in more than 70 countries around the world, almost half of them in Africa. Neighbouring Uganda once enacted a law imposing a life sentence for certain acts of gay sex although it was later nullified by court. South Africa is the only African nation to have legalised gay marriage.

"We hereby decline the relief sought and dismiss the combined petition," Justice Roselyn Aburili told a packed courtroom in Kenya's capital Nairobi, relaying the unanimous opinion of the three-justice panel.

"We find that the impugned sections are not unconstitutional, accordingly the combined petitions have no merit."

Some gay rights activists wept outside the courtroom after the verdict while supporters of the ban clapped, congratulated each other and yelled "thank you" at the judges' bench. Read more via Reuters