The life and legacy of David Kato

Our college shield has been designed with Kato's activism and heritage in mind. Read about the significance of each shield element with our shield announcement.

Who was David Kato?

David Kato was a Ugandan human rights defender and gay rights activist that had a significant impact on the rights of LGBT+ people in Uganda. Described by The Economist as Uganda's first openly gay man, Kato used education, advocacy and activism to fight for the projection of LGBT+ peoples' fundamental rights and freedom.

Kato was one of the founding members of the Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) advocacy group. SMUG is still active to this day, and its work protecting the LGBT+ community in Uganda has seen them be awarded with the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award and the Rafto Prize for Human Rights. Find out about SMUGs work.

Kato's activism

The situation for the LGBT+ community in Uganda has been described as deeply concerning by the UN Commissioner for Human Rights, with a string of recent legislative moves designed to criminalise homosexuality. Human Rights Watch have called on Ugandan lawmakers to "focus on ending endemic sexual violence rather than [...] imbed abusive provisions that criminalise the sex lives of consenting adults."

In this hostile environment, Kato publicly campaigned for the fundamental rights of the LGBT+ to be free of persecution and protected by the law. To support this work he came to the University of York, and took part in the Centre for Applied Human Rights (CAHR) Protective Fellowship scheme to build his skills and give respite from the threats in Uganda.

In 2010, Ugandan tabloid Rolling Stone published Kato's personal details, including his address, under the title 'Hang Them!' which called for vigilante violence against gay rights activists. Kato and other members of SMUG petitioned the Ugandan Courts and were successful in having Rolling Stone shut down, however Kato's safety had already been compromised. In the following months, Kato told his fellow activists about being increasingly harassed with people saying that they would 'deal with him'. Sadly, in January 2011, Kato was found murdered in his home.

Kato's impact

Kato had an immense impact on the struggle for recognition and protection of Uganda's LGBT+ community. Fellow activists in Uganda described him as an inspiring figure that “believed in the rule of law and seeking justice. He always encouraged [us] to stand firm and not bury [our] head in the ground. His death made [us] stronger.” Former American President Barack Obama also commended Kato for his "tremendous courage in speaking out against hate. He was a powerful advocate for fairness and freedom."

At David Kato College we want to do all we can to live up to David's monumental legacy. We will work closely with CAHR here in York to support other human rights defenders seeking refuge at the University. We will value understanding and mutual respect, while embracing diversity in all that we do when working with our student community.

Find out about the work of the Centre for Applied Human Rights at the University and read about Kato in his own words from his time at York.