Ugandan gay rights activist bludgeoned to death in his home | Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog

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Thursday 27 January 2011

Ugandan gay rights activist bludgeoned to death in his home

A Ugandan gay rights activist whose name was published on a list of the nation's "top homosexuals" was bludgeoned to death today in his home near the capital, his lawyer said Thursday.

How unfortunate!



A neighbor found David Kato dead and notified authorities, according to his lawyer, John Onyango.
Kato's money and some clothes were missing after the attack, Onyango said.

It was unclear whether Kato's killing was linked to his gay rights activism or a front-page story in a Ugandan tabloid that reignited anti-gay sentiments late last year.

The story included a list of "top 100 homosexuals" with their photos, addresses and a banner with the words "Hang Them." Kato's name and picture were on the list.

Arrest warrants have been issued for two suspects: a taxi driver found near Kato's house and an ex-convict who was staying with Kato before the killing, Onyango said.

Kato told CNN last year that he feared for his life after the list was released. His lawyer said he had informed authorities in Mukono, the town where he lived, of his fears.
"The villagers want to set my house ablaze," he told CNN at the time. "They want to burn my house. ... (They say,) 'Can you go away before my house is burned?'"

Authorities in the Mukono criminal investigations department declined to comment pending further investigation.
Activists decried the attack, and urged authorities in the east African nation to investigate the killing. They called on the government to protect them from violence, and act on threats and hostility toward them.
"David Kato's death is a tragic loss to the human rights community. David had faced the increased threats to Ugandan LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) people bravely and will be sorely missed," said Maria Burnett, senior Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch.

The U.S. Mission in Kampala, Uganda, issued a statement saying it "mourns" Kato's death.

"The U.S. extends its sympathies to David's family, friends and human rights colleagues," the statement said. "David's courageous devotion to promoting the universal human rights of members of Uganda's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community improved the lives of minority populations in Uganda and throughout Africa, and his selfless dedication to defending human rights and speaking out against injustice served as inspiration to human rights defenders around the world."

Earlier this year, Kato and two activists won a case against the magazine that published the list. The court ruled that media in Uganda are barred from releasing details of known or potential homosexuals in the country.
The editor of the Rolling Stone, the tabloid that published the list, denounced the attacks and said he sympathized with the victim's family.


"When we called for hanging of gay people, we meant ... after they have gone through the legal process," said Giles Muhame. "I did not call for them to be killed in cold blood like he was."
The Rolling Stone tabloid is not affiliated with the iconic U.S. music magazine by the same name.
Homosexuality is illegal in most countries in Africa, where sodomy laws were introduced during colonialism. In Uganda, homosexual acts are punishable by 14 years to life in prison, according to rights activists. 

Source: CNN

22 comments:

Big Daddy Dickum' Down... said...

Sad stuff, but that thing about keeping an ex-con at the crib, wussup with that?

BushDakta said...

Murder is the crime of criminals. Murdering an innocent person is the moral equivalent of killing an infant in its cradle or killing someone just because they are BLACK or killing someone just because they are FAT. I live about 10 minutes walk from the city. Around here, there are gay and lesbian who live here just like anyone else. Their presence can never make me gay or make me to think evil against them or anyone. I would never dream of wishing anything bad to anyone of them just because they are gay or lesbians or "immoral". Its wrong to hate anyone just because they or their way of life is different from yours or against what your Zend-Avesta / Vedas / Bible / Quran / Miqra teaches. Gay / Lesbians have same right as anyone to exist on this planet. If there’s a God, why play God for others. Some things in this life is not for us to judge. The Ugandan government is worse than useless. It failed to teach its citizens the difference between good and evil. The corrupt, rotten, evil and backward Ugandan government must bury its face in eternal shame. The Ugandan government deliberately failed to protect David Kato. The Ugandan government is complicit in the murder of David Kato. The Ugandan government is equally guilty of the murder of David Kato as those who committed this barbaric act. The murderers of David Kato and the Ugandan government are responsible for David Kato’s blood and the blood of David Kato's unborn descendants, and the weight of this responsibility is theirs and their descendants to carry to the end of time. The hottest place in hell is reserved for the Ugandan President, his cabinet and those who committed this evil act. May David Kato's soul rest in peace.



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bodacious02 said...

May his soul rest in perfect peace

9ice said...

justice!!!!

Anonymous said...

@9ice
Justice? How? Defend your declaration. Are you suggesting that killing someone b/cos he "failed" to conformity to the religious and society rules of "right moral conduct"? Are you suggesting that clubbing someone to death with a hammer because of their "wrong" sexuality is acceptable in this day and age? If a member of your family was gay would you want them killed? If your child was gay, would you want them slaughtered?

Nonye said...

This is jungle justice! Infact no justice at all! I posted something about this on my blog this morning....hate them, criticize, reject the bills to legalize their marriage but DO NOT TAKE THEIR LIVES! simple! am very against gay practices but I wont murder!

James said...

Well, is not right to take judgment into our hands. so i prayer that God will forgive the soul of David Kato for the fact that gay is immoral before God and man. and the killers should know that word of God won us not to take judgments into our hands so that we may not be judge as well. therefore, they needs to prayer and ask God to forgive them by passing their judgment against this man just the way they end him up. who knows whether he will be touched to realize him self and put an end to that some day. even to become a real born again Christian. at least, we can remember the life of Saul in the bible.

But all the same Evil is Evil so lets no have some words of encouragement to this gay of a thing pls. I am referring mostly to you BushDakta based on your reactions to this case.

joicee said...

@BushDakta
Thank you.
May his soul rest in peace, Amen.


And the flip side of this whole thing is that there are men out there living on the down low on the continent and in the diaspora who are sleeping with men and going back to their wives and girlfriends and infecting them with HIV. That is a major cause of the high HIVinfection in black women in america.

Is it not better to live the gay lifestyle in the open and be at peace with yourself and the world???

@ 9ice..as for you writing justice...I wish that you or one of relatives gets murdered in cold blood because of sexual orientation, gender or ethincity so that we can all say justice as well.

Anonymous said...

Ditto anonymous 1:18

Blackknight said...

Nobody under this earth has the right to judge or murder anybody.Gays and Lesbians are humans created by the same God that we all claim we worship.And you know what,GOD loves them too.Shame on Uganda!Shame on Africa!When the world is busy integrating everybody,you are busy alienating the same people that God created in His own Image.
It is not for you or anybody to judge peoples' sexual orientation.

Nigerian Film and TV Addict said...

why is he a gay right activist in a country where it is frowned upon? wisdom..wisdom..geez he killed himself.

9ice said...

see me see trouble oh, anonymous 1:32 and joicee, i just wrote a word and it can mean justice done or justice be done why jump into conclusion on what i meant.. GOSH!!!

and joicee sort yourself out mate.. u be mess!!

Anonymous said...

@ Nigerian Films
Thanks for letting the me know how enlightened you are, not. His occupation was not a crime. The crime of being gay in Uganda is not punishable by death. The disturbing thing is you are actually in England. Geez, how the hell did foreign office let you? How would you feel if you had BNP activist next door and they wanted you dead because you are not White? Would they be justified in taking the law into their hands? Would they be justified if they hospitalised or ended your life? How would you feel if your White lecturer orders you out of his class cos he does not want many black face on his course? Would accept it or move to Nigeria or fight against it?

Nigerian Film and TV Addict said...

@anon 7.56 racism is different from homophobia thank you. if there was still racism in england like back in the day i wouldn't be here. there is still homophobia in most countries that's why this man's actions were misguided.BNP is not majority in England...but majority of uganda is against homosexuality thank you. it's about majority. u r the not so enlightened one.

Anonymous said...

@ nigerian films (another anon)
wow. the fact that racism is not as prevalent as before in England is because attitudes changed. Read something about the civil rights movement in the US before you start spouting off about rubbish. There was a time when the majority held racist views. ONLY when people started campaigning for change instead of siddon-look that change happened. FYI, racism is STILL alive and well in the world.

between, homophobia is not that different. It's still the hatred of other humans based on perceived differences. Read and enlighten yourself before you start opening your ignorant mouth.

Anonymous said...

nigeria film addict and annonymous why the WILD MOUTH!!!

Anonymous said...

@Nigerian Films. Seems u been watching too much films. Majority doing a wrong does not make a wrong right. Violence solves nothing. Whatever is wrong is wrong. Mob rule should never replace the criminal justice systems. If anyone commits an offence, then such person should be punish through the right legal procedure. Mob rule leads to anarchy, violence and criminality or, even, an innocent person wrongfully accused, punished. The majority / mob / individuals should not take the law into their hands. The Law must always be stable, no arbitrary behaviour of authorities, individuals or group/gang, no shifting of goal post, obeyed, enforced, fulfilled, and allowed to take its course. In civilised society, the law is the master of the government and citizens; in order for everyone to be truly free, the law governs. Dicey's Rule of Law must always apply to all at all times. No shifting of the goal post. The allegation of criminality against the diseased was unproven in a court of law. I'm not for or against gay or no gay. It's not my cup of tea. I'm too enlightened to judge such matters or, regardless the occassion or provocation, take part in slaughtering a chicken / goat / cow let alone shed someone's blood.

Anonymous said...

Murder does not allow for a change of heart, compassion or forgiveness. Even Christ forgave a prostitute. He didn’t give her hell or brutality. There’s no justice in murder. The shocking murder of David Kato (He must be called by his name; He was a human being), whose only crime was to be openly gay, is as a result of everything that's wrong with humanity, ignorance, psychological deficiencies, extremism, religious fanaticism and a range of negative attitudes and feelings which we all have towards each other. Yesterday, it was the gay man, tomorrow, it may be the Chinese man for the shape of his eyes, another day it may be ethnic cleaning, another day it could be you and I for the colour of our skin. Where will it stop? Whatever we accept for others, be it right or wrong, we accept for ourselves. You, I and no one are safe in any society where anarchy and arbitrary abuse of power and violation of any group’s or individual's fundamental Human Rights prevails. Even in personal circumstance, the law frowns upon anyone taking the law into their hands. Can a person be excused if he/she clubbed his/her wife/husband to death if he/she found her/him in bed with another man/woman or woman/man? No. Yes (only in self-defence – if he/she was being attacked i.e. – his/her life was in danger and he/she could not escape or us reasonable force to immobilise the attacker). Can a person be allowed or excused if he/she caught and killed a burglar in his/her property who then rapes his/her son/daughter? No. Yes (only in self-defence – if he/she was being attacked i.e. – his/her life was in danger and he/she could not escape or us reasonable force to immobilise the burglar). Everyone, including murders, kidnappers, voodoo doctors, the milk man, politicians, kill-and-go, lastma, fascists, religious leaders, AOL, BT, T-Mobile, pickpockets, bloggers, journalists, paparazzi, paedophile, human traffickers, pimps, saints, sinners have RIGHT TO LIFE. Even a foetus or the most "sinful" prostitute has right to life. We all have at some point in our lives sinned against God, the ancestors, gods, the religious doctrines, the stars, moon, rivers, and against our fellow human beings. If God slaughtered us for every time each one of sins, there would be no you, I, your religious leader or anyone left on this earth or Mars. The man that was murdered was someone's son, brother, uncles, and most of all, he was a human being. He did not deserve to lose his life in that way. No matter how hard it is or your moral arguments, in all situations or circumstances, set everyone free, and wish for others what you wish for your loved ones and yourself.

Anonymous said...

God created Adam and Eve. God did not create Adam and Steve. God did not create Eve and Adanma.

Anonymous said...

While i would not commit or condone taking another person's life because its not right..it should be highlighted also that this tyranny of the minority is why the world has gone bonkers..why seek to legalize this gay/lesbian vice??..wut next??..paedophilia???..majority of people on here talking about support for gays and wut not should shut the hell up!!..too much freedom is ruining our world!..kids freedom,ultra feminism et al..freedom this..freedom that..and the gays want kids??..that straight people conceived??..are we mad or just stoopid?/..this is Africa!..that western crap will never work here..yeah i said it!!

joseph said...

all of una wey dey talk abeg go sacrifice una life for gay rights make dem flog una die for lagos. abeg which kain thing be dis. nobody is saying homosexuals should be killed but if it is illegal then why do it.

Anonymous said...

@joseph the thicko.

"all of una wey dey talk abeg go sacrifice una life for gay rights make dem flog una die for lagos. abeg which kain thing be dis. nobody is saying homosexuals should be killed but if it is illegal then why do it."

About your comment, Go back to school, brick head. Come back in 5 years. Thanks.

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