Boy, this is going to be an interesting one. 

The only thing I know about Uganda, other than it’s a big coffee grower, is that in my living memory it tried to pass a law sentencing anyone convicted of same-sex sexual activity with the death penalty. This was later, reduced to life imprisonment, but understandably Uganda is not high on my list of countries that I want to visit. 

The law was eventually annulled after pressure and sanctions from the US. However, in 2021 Uganda is once again legislating to send gay people to prison. Luckily this legislation has not passed, and there is little chance of it passing. 

Could this mean that things are about to finally get a little better for Uganda’s LGBT community? Am I being a little unfair in calling Uganda out on its treatment of gay people? After all, many countries such as Afghanistan, Brunei, Iran, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and the UAE prescribe the death penalty for homosexuality. Either way, it’s something that stuck in my mind and I think it’s an issue worth raising. 

It’s also worth pointing out that there’s a big difference between a country’s current government and the country itself. For example, you’d probably not expect the UK to have an incredibly large proportion of passionately pro-EU citizens, but it does! 

Anyway, back to Uganda:

• Uganda is home to half the World’s surviving 1004 or so mountain gorillas

• Ugandan’s refer to potatoes as ”Irish”

• Uganda is also home to some incredible nature such as the stunning snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains, the Murchison Falls and the fantastically named Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

• Tragically Uganda had one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDs of any country in the world - at one point 20% of the population was afflicted. Fortunately, Uganda has since experienced the sharpest decrease in HIV/AIDS-related deaths with an 88% decrease in 27 years