JBI and Africa Institute Condemn Murder of Ugandan LGBT Activist

The Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights (JBI) and the American Jewish Committe's Africa Institute condemn the murder of David Kato, a prominent Ugandan human rights defender. 

Kato faced threats and harassment in the months preceding his death, fueled in part by a local newspaper’s publication in late 2010 of the names, images, and addresses of a number of LGBT activists, including Kato, alongside statements explicitly calling for them to be hanged.  Despite this, pending completion of the police investigation, Ugandan authorities have not yet attributed the motive of the killing to discrimination. 
 
“President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda should respond to this horrible event by ordering a thorough, impartial investigation and ensuring that those who murdered David Kato are apprehended and punished,” said Felice Gaer, Director of JBI.  “Only by countering hate-filled rhetoric against and harassment of LGBT individuals, and publicly reaffirming that all Ugandans are entitled to equal enjoyment of their rights, can Museveni hope to ensure that others do not share Kato’s tragic fate.”

Kato was one of the most vocal opponents of the “Anti-Homosexuality Bill” pending before the Ugandan Parliament.  If enacted, the bill would render homosexuality a criminal offense subject to life imprisonment and impose prison sentences and fines on those who fail to report homosexual activity to the authorities.  Homosexual sex is presently a criminal offense in Uganda.  In February 2010, the American Jewish Committee condemned the bill and urged the government of Uganda to vigorously oppose it.

“We commend President Barack Obama’s and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s strong statements calling for investigations and accountability in the wake of Kato’s murder,” said Eliseo Neuman, Director of AJC’s Africa Institute.  “The US government and the broader advocacy community should continue pressing the governments of Uganda and other countries in which LGBT persons face harassment and discrimination to ensure that all those who commit violence against others on the basis of their sexual identity and orientation are held accountable.”