Once again, Archbishop Stephen Kaziimba of the Church of Uganda has taken it upon himself to condemn queer people abroad—this time targeting the appointment of Archbishop Cherry Vann, an openly lesbian woman recently elected to lead the Anglican Church in Wales.
According to Kaziimba, her leadership represents a departure from “God’s true values.” Yet, for those of us who live under his spiritual authority in Uganda, his words expose a disturbing pattern of moral selectivity, spiritual elitism, and calculated silence.
Let’s be clear: Cherry Vann’s appointment is a groundbreaking moment not just for LGBTQI Christians, but for the global church. She embodies compassion, resilience, and dignity—values Jesus himself embodied. Yet Archbishop Kaziimba, speaking at a church service on August 7, used her election as a launchpad for yet another anti-LGBTQI tirade. “We were shocked… What happened to God’s word?” he asked.
But here’s the real question: Where is God’s word when queer Ugandans are hunted, arrested, and murdered? Where is the archbishop’s voice when our rights are stripped, our lives degraded, and our dignity denied by the state—and often, with the Church’s blessing?
In 2023, when Uganda passed one of the most draconian anti-LGBTQI laws in the world, Archbishop Kaziimba applauded it. He claimed it was necessary to “protect” the nation’s morals. The law legalised life imprisonment for same-sex acts and introduced the death penalty for so-called “aggravated homosexuality.” Hundreds of LGBTQI Ugandans were forced to flee their homes. Some were tortured. Others remain in hiding.
And where was Archbishop Kaziimba then? Applauding from the pulpit.
He had no words of compassion for the gay teenager disowned by her family, the trans woman beaten by police, or the queer refugee turned away by hospitals. No public prayers. No pastoral care. No condemnation of violence. Just silence—or worse, support for the state-sponsored cruelty.
So, when he condemns a loving, openly queer leader like Archbishop Vann, it’s not about “biblical truth.” It’s about power. It’s about using religion to uphold a political ideology rooted in patriarchy and homophobia, while ignoring the everyday suffering of real people in his own backyard.
Cherry Vann’s leadership offers a different path—one of inclusion, dignity, and integrity. She doesn’t just quote the Bible; she lives its values: love, justice, humility.
Kaziimba, on the other hand, has shown us what selective morality looks like. He speaks loudly against queer people in Wales, but remains silent about the corruption, gender-based violence, child marriages, and political repression in Uganda. He talks about “God’s path,” but conveniently forgets that Christ never condemned LGBTQI people—not once.
As queer Ugandans, we do not need his approval. But we see through his hypocrisy, and we know we are not alone.
We deserve leaders—both political and spiritual—who will stand for justice for all people, not just the ones who fit a narrow mould of respectability.
Until then, we will continue to pray—not for Kaziimba’s judgment, but for his awakening.
