Some books we read merely to pass time, just as we read newspapers, quickly and inattentively. Others we read for purgation: to loosen the grip of self-imposed prisons. Indubitably, many of us are prisoners: societal prisoners, family prisoners, mythical prisoners. Or yet, someone out there, out of hatred for our identity, has enslaved us, and we have accepted the chains … Read More
The Performance of Protection
Across Africa, the loudest cries of “protect the children” are too often followed by silence when children are actually harmed — but fury when consenting queer adults exist. Across the African continent, a familiar refrain echoes from pulpits, political rallies, and parliamentary debates: we must protect the children. It is a powerful phrase — emotionally charged, morally urgent, and difficult … Read More
BOOK REVIEW: WE’VE BEEN HERE
I flipped the last pages of this book on a bus while returning from somewhere, and two questions lingered in my head long after I closed it: Where will you be when the world heals from homophobia? And when will the world finally accept that people are people, regardless of their sexuality? I come from a country, Uganda, where identifying as gay is … Read More
Yesterday, the death penalty did not win!!!
In August 2023, something shifted in Uganda. Not quietly, not gently — but with the heavy, unmistakable thud of a law landing on real lives. The Anti-Homosexuality Act had just come into force, and for months many in our community had lived with a question sitting in our throats: Who will be first? Who would be the first person the … Read More
Arrest, Assault, Extort, Repeat : A familiar pattern of abuse
In the early hours of January 17, 2026, police officers from Wakasanke Police Post raided a home in Masanafu, arresting four young men in a scene that has become disturbingly routine across Uganda. What followed illustrates how the Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2023 has transformed into a weapon of extortion, harassment, and systemic abuse against LGBTQ+ Ugandans. The four men arrested … Read More
Karma Has a Ballot: Uganda’s election gives (some) homophobic leaders the boot
When I Cast My Vote, I Did So With a Quiet But Stubborn Hope of Freedom: Freedom From Homophobic Leaders! Everything with a beginning comes to an end; even the strongest thunderstorms eventually settle. The year has barely begun, yet chaos already hangs over it. Another long ride? Maybe. But this too shall end. On 15 January 2026, Uganda entered … Read More
Ugandan First : Why Queer Ugandans SHOULD Vote!!
This Thursday, Uganda goes to the polls. Streets fill with posters, rallies buzz with promises, and the weight of choice hangs in the air. Elections are often framed as moments of division, but they are also moments of collective ownership. They ask us a simple question: what kind of country do we want to live in, and who gets to … Read More
Building Our Future Together: The Struggle for LGBTQ Rights on Human Rights Day
As the world marks Human Rights Day under the theme “Building Our Future Together,” Uganda’s LGBTQ community finds itself at a critical juncture, grappling with intensified legal persecution and systemic discrimination that threatens the very foundation of universal human rights. For decades, the community has existed under the shadow of colonial-era penal code provisions that criminalize same-sex relations. Yet 2023 … Read More
Yosephina: A Woman who Refused to Disappear
Who wrote the laws of society that now certain people believe that other people are not people enough—that their rights are not rights enough and so they should be flouted without any iota of reverence? One might thus wonder what society has become—a beast that consumes those who refuse to be what it wants them to be—those who stand on … Read More
Press Statement on Release of Bombastic Magazine: Special Edition – The Road to an AIDS-Free 2030
For Immediate Release Kuchu Times Media Group Kampala, Uganda As Uganda and the global community intensify efforts to achieve an AIDS-Free 2030, Kuchu Times Media Group proudly announces the release of a special magazine edition dedicated to this urgent and historic journey. For years, Kuchu Times has committed itself to telling stories that are often erased—stories of LGBTQ+ Ugandans, sex workers, transgender communities, and other key populations who continue to shape the fight against HIV and AIDS. This edition deepens that commitment by examining where we stand, what progress has been made, and what must still be confronted if we are to reach an AIDS-Free generation. Why this edition, and why now? This magazine arrives at a critical moment. Uganda and many African nations are experiencing a severe rollback … Read More