Africa
Zimbabwean vice president reiterates strong opposition to LGBTQ rights
Constantino Chiwenga condemned advocacy group’s scholarship

Zimbabwean Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has expressed concerns over what he has described as foreign recruitment of LGBTQ people in the country.
Chiwenga on Feb. 15 described Zimbabwe as a Christian country and therefore does not have room to accommodate those who identify as LGBTQ. His comments were in response to Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe and the advocacy group’s annual scholarship program that provides funds to people who identify as LGBTQ.
“The government of Zimbabwe strongly and firmly rejects and denounces as unlawful, un-Christian, anti-Zimbabwean and un-African, insidious attempts by foreign interests to entice, lure and recruit Zimbabweās less privileged, but able students into lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender activities and malpractices through offers of educational scholarships,” he said.
“Zimbabwe has legislated against all such deviances, making any offers predicated on the same aberrations both unlawful and criminal, and a grave and gross affront on our national values and ethos as a Christian nation,” he added.
Chiwenga said such scholarships are a national threat and highlighted that anyone who identifies as LGBTQ shall not be enrolled at any educational institution.
“To that end, government sees such scholarship offers as a direct challenge on its authority, and thus will not hesitate to take appropriate measures to enforce national laws, and to protect and defend national values,” he said.
“Our schools and institutions of higher learning will not entertain applicants, let alone enroll persons associated with such alien, anti-life, un-African and un-Christian values which are being promoted and cultivated by, as well as practiced in decadent societies with whom we share no moral or cultural affinities,” added Chiwenga.
The vice president also said Zimbabwe shall not be influenced by any country to change its stance with regards to the LGBTQ community.
“Zimbabwe is a sovereign, African state with definite laws and values which typify it, cutting it apart from other mores,” said Chiwenga. “Young Zimbabweans who qualify for enrolment into tertiary institutions here and elsewhere, should approach government departments tasked to give grants and scholarship support to deserving cases. They should never be tempted to trade or sell their souls for such abominable and devilish offers.”
Activists and commentators have sharply criticized Chiwenga’s comments, saying people’s sexual lives should not be of public concern.
“This scholarship has been going on for years and many graduates have been supported and gainfully employed,” noted GALZ Programs Manager Samuel Matsikure. “In the 90s it showed LGBT (people) who were bullied, outed and faced harassment would drop out of school, hence, it was important to provide them with basic education so they can support themselves in life.”
Stacey Chihera, a social commentator, said what consenting adult individuals decide to do behind closed doors should never be up for public discussion.
“I wish this entitlement about individual sexuality was applied to corruption, service delivery and infrastructure development,” said Chihera. “What consenting adult individuals decide to do behind closed doors with their private parts should never be up for discussion! Not even by the government.”
Namatai Kwekweza a lawyer and an activist, said the vice president was scapegoating the real issues on the ground that are affecting the country on a daily basis.
“The facts being a scapegoat is necessary for an underperforming and evil government that will overzealously and hypothetically talk about morality and Christian values except when it comes to corruption, looting, genocide, abductions, torture, elections fraud, abuse of office, sexual abuse,” said Kwekweza. “These leaders must be seen more, major more and heard loudest in matters of public accountability and returning stolen loot, than in matters of moral grandstanding of which they have no moral authority in the first place.”
Consensual same-sex sexual relations remain criminalized in Zimbabwe with up to 14 years in prison.
Africa
Suspension of US aid forces PEPFAR-funded programs in Africa to close down
Funding freeze is ‘matter of life and death’

The suspension of nearly all U.S. foreign aid has forced a number of programs that the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief funds in Africa to shut down.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Jan. 24Ā directedĀ State Department personnel to stop nearly all U.S. foreign aid spending for 90 days in response toĀ an executive orderĀ that President Donald Trump signed after his inauguration. Rubio later issued a waiver that allows PEPFAR and other ālife-saving humanitarian assistanceā programs to continue operating after bowing to pressure.
A message on the U.S. Agency for International Development’s website notes “all USAID direct hire personnel will be placed on administrative leave globally, with the exception of designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership, and specially designated programs.” The announcement is scheduled to take place on Friday at 11:59 p.m. ET.
One of the PEPFAR-funded healthcare programs in Kenya still impacted by the funding freeze, despite Rubio’s waiver, is the Fahari ya Jamii (“joy of the community” in Swahili) initiative that began in 2022. The University of Nairobi was jointly implementing the project.
The Sh4.2 billion ($32,558,139.52) project sought to coordinate and manage high quality, cost-effective, and accessible HIV services in Nairobi, neighboring Kajiado County, and other parts of Kenya. Fahari ya Jamii was scheduled to end in May 2026, but it has closed indefinitely because of a lack of U.S. funding.
More than 700 staff, mostly healthcare workers, on Jan. 31 were placed on unpaid leave for three months, or until Washington decides whether to unfreeze funding. More than 150 Fahari ya Jamii clinics that offer HIV treatment to at least 72,000 people on antiretroviral drugs have also shut down.
The initiativeās target groups include children, adolescents, and adults living with HIV; young people, men, and women at risk of HIV; and key populations that include men who have sex with men and female sex workers. Fahari ya Jamii since 2022 has offered HIV tests to more than 257,500 people, connected 94 percent of those who tested positive to treatment, distributed condoms and lubricants, and disseminated safter sex messages to their target groups.
Faith Ndungāu, advocacy manager for Kenya’s Health NGOs’ Network (HENNET) said the Trump-Vance administration should have used a humane approach to engage with countries that benefit from U.S. funding, instead of abruptly suspending it.
āWe are feeling the magnitude of the suspension in the health sector because these are lives; these are people,” said Ndung’u. “When such an abrupt decision is made, we are talking about more than one million people living with HIV being affected.ā
HENNET is an umbrella group with 112 members from local and international NGOs, faith-based organizations, and research institutions that focus on health-related issues inĀ Kenyaās 47 local governments.
āThis is now a wakeup call for Kenya and Africa to invest in the health sector by funding it more not to be in a similar crisis when a donor pulls out or forfeits his commitment,ā Ndungāu said.
Local governments that also rely on USAID to run PEPFAR programs have suspended their U.S.-funded activities and phased out the stand-alone comprehensive HIV care centers by integrating treatment and care into general health care services. This move has forced hundreds of health care workers to go onto unpaid leave and wait for further guidance.
Pema Kenya, a Mombasa-based queer lobby group, said the decision to suspend funding means “uncertain times” for the LGBTQ community and Kenyans at large who depend upon U.S.-funded groups for their health care.
āMany queer organizations rely heavily on USAID funding for vital services such as HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, mental health support, and legal aid,ā Pema Kenya stated.
Pema Kenya noted the suspension of U.S. aid could severely cripple queer organizations and leave vulnerable people with limited access to crucial resources.
āThis would be a significant setback in the fight against HIV/AIDS and other health crises disproportionately affecting the LGBTQ+ community,ā Pema Kenya stated.
GALCK, a coalition of 16 Kenyan LGBTQ rights groups, was even more blunt.
“This isn’t just a policy decision; it’s a matter of life and death,” it said in a statement.
OUT and Engage Man’s Health ā two South African organizations that provide HIV services to MSM, transgender people, sex workers, and other vulnerable groups through PEPFAR ā have also been impacted by the U.S. funding freeze.
OUT and Engage Manās Health, which provides HIV services to MSM, announced on Jan. 27 that it will stop offering services āuntil further noticeā due to a lack of funding. The organization asked its clients to seek services from the nearest public health facilities.
āWe deeply value our clients and remain committed to safeguarding your health,” said the announcement. “We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and disruption this may cause. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide further details at this time.ā
Kenya and most other African countries have said a permanent suspension of U.S. aid will adversely impact progress made in the health sector, particularly the fight against HIV/AIDS. Botswana and some other nations on the continent that use their national budgets to purchase antiretroviral drugs, have assured their citizens the supply of these medications will not be interrupted.
Uganda
Ugandan advocacy groups step up fight against mpox
More than 500 new cases reported in country over last two weeks

As mpox cases continue to surge in Uganda, LGBTQ rights organizations have raised concerns over its ātroubling increaseā among the queer community and have advised it to be on high alert.
The Uganda Key Populations Consortium, an LGBTQ rights organization, working closely with the Health Ministry and Kampala Capital City Authority and other government bodies to stem the spread of mpox, has warned that queer people in semi-urban areas are the most affected.
āThese communities have expressed valid concerns regarding stigma and discrimination which may deter individuals from seeking necessary medical attention,ā UKPC Director General Richard Lusimbo said.
Uganda has recorded 512 new mpox cases in the last two weeks, bringing the total number of cases to 2,127 and 12 deaths, as the Health Ministry confirmed on Tuesday. The World Health Organizationās latest multi-country report on the mpox outbreak, released on Jan. 11, indicates that Uganda has recorded 1,552 cases and 12 deaths since the disease was first reported last July..
The WHO report places the capital Kampala with the highest number of mpox diseases spread through community transmission with an infection incidence of 45 cases per 100,000 people, followed by the Wakiso and Nakasongola districts.
āCases have been reported in at least 49 percent (71 out of 146) of districts in the country, but the epidemic remains largely concentrated in and around Kampala,ā the WHO report reads. āSo far, only clade Ib MPXV, linked to the outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, has been detected in the country, and current evidence indicates that transmission of the virus is occurring exclusively through close, physical human-to-human contact.ā
People between 20-29 are the most affected group, with sexual contact as a major mode of transmission among sex workers and men who have sex with men.
The UKPC has issued an urgent health advisory to the queer community as it collaborates with the Health Ministry and KCCA in responding to the mpox transmission through immediate and long-term actions, including integrating its response with ongoing HIV prevention and care strategies.
Lusimbo, whose organization has also partnered with WHO and the Most At Risk Populations Initiative, a local health NGO, to stem the spread of mpox stated a unified preventive approach that is inclusive and effective is vital for the health and safety of all Ugandans.
āThe fear of stigma and discrimination can exacerbate the situation by hindering effective response and treatment efforts,ā Lusimbo said.
He noted that the fight against mpox in Uganda is not just limited to managing a health crisis. It also offers the queer community an opportunity to advocate for the rights and dignity of the marginalized groups.
The UKPC last week unveiled an online survey on the mpox epidemic targeting queer people in Uganda to reliably understand its impact on them and their knowledge about the disease.Ā
āMpox continues to disproportionately affect mostly our community, especially female sex workers and their clients, and men who have sex with men,ā the survey reads. āAs the national secretariat and coordinating body for key populations, UKPC, in partnership with KCCA, has been leading important discussions on the diseaseās public health implications in areas where the impact is most notable.ā
The report states the survey data will help develop tailored, inclusive, and equitable interventions for the LGBTQ community. The survey also seeks to provide specific numbers of queer people who have contracted mpox and those who have died from the disease.
Uganda Minority Shelters Consortium Coordinator John Grace attributed the lack of data about queer people affected by mpox to privacy concerns, stigma, and discrimination against the community by the homophobic public and state authorities tasked with enforcing anti-homosexuality laws. He said the Anti-Homosexuality Law has created a significant barrier for queer people to report such abuses.
āThis makes it difficult to ascertain the true extent of stigma and discrimination or the impact of misinformation about transmission methods,ā Grace said.
Grace also noted the collaboration between LGBTQ organizations and healthcare providers in tackling mpox has been āinconsistent.ā
āWhile some providers have been welcoming and supportive, others demonstrate a lack of awareness or sensitivity regarding the specific needs of the LGBTQ+ community,ā he said.
Despite the homophobic climate in Uganda amid the fight against mpox, Grace noted many LGBTQ organizations have proactively disseminated accurate information to educate queer people about the diseaseās prevention within their communities through educational campaigns and safer sex practices.
Ghana
Ghanaās president says anti-LGBTQ bill āeffectively is deadā
Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill passed in 2024

Advocacy groups in Ghana have welcomed the demise of a bill that would have further criminalized LGBTQ people and outlawed allyship.
President John Mahama on Jan. 14 said the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill that MP Sam George of Ningo-Prampram co-sponsored in 2021 was essentially dead. Mahama made the remarks to a delegation of bishops from the Ghana Catholic Bishopās Conference.
“If we are teaching our values in schools, we wouldnāt need to pass a bill to enforce family values,ā said Mahama. āMore than just passing the Family Values Bill, we need to agree on a curriculum that instills these values in our children as they grow.ā
The president also said that although MPs passed the bill last February, parliament dissolved before former President Nana Akufo-Ado, whose term ended earlier this month, signed it.
“I donāt know what the promoters of the bill intend to do, but I think we should have a conversation about it again,ā said Mahama. āAs far as I know, the bill did not get to the president. So, the convention is that all bills that are not assented to law before the expiration of the life of parliament, expire. So that bill effectively is dead.ā
LGBT+ Rights Ghana Communications Director Berinyuy Burinyuy said the president’s remarks offer a glimmer of hope for LGBTQ Ghanaians who have long been subjected to systemic discrimination, fear, and violence.
“For many, the mere suggestion that LGBT+ issues could be addressed through education rather than criminalization represents a significant departure from the traditional legislative path championed by the billās proponents,ā said Burinyuy. āThis shift implies a possible opening for dialogue and a more inclusive approach, one that recognizes the need for respect and understanding of diverse sexual identities within Ghanaian society.”
Burinyuy, however, asked about how family values will be incorporated into the educational curriculum.
“Will the curriculum provide a comprehensive, nuanced understanding of human sexuality that respects diversity, or will it risk reinforcing discriminatory attitudes under the guise of cultural preservation?ā said Burinyuy. āThe fear, particularly among LGBT+ activists is that the emphasis on education could inadvertently foster homophobia in Ghanaian children. If the content is not carefully structured, it could perpetuate harmful stereotypes and deepen existing prejudices.ā
“While Mahama may not yet be fully committing to a clear policy direction, his statement leaves open the possibility of a more balanced approach, one that allows for a national conversation on sexual rights without rushing into divisive legislation,ā added Burinyuy.
We Are All Ghana said Mahamaās comments are a welcomed approach in addressing anti-LGBTQ sentiments and negative stereotyping.
“We need a holistic educational curriculum for our schools,ā said We Are All Ghana. āThe children at least deserve to know the truth. There is nothing worse than half baked information.ā
Yaw Mensah, an LGBTQ activist, said Mahama is teaching Ghanaians to be tolerant of everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation.
“Mahama is indirectly saying LGBT persons are not Ghanaās problems. Letās teach families values that accept and respect everyone. Ghanaian values should be tolerance, respect, honesty, hardworking, hospitality, and integrity,ā said Mensah. āThose need to be taught and not the hate, discrimination, barbarism, greediness, and hypocrisy that we are seeing in many leaders which transcends into the young ones.”
George has yet to comment on Mensahās comments about his bill.
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