Thursday, January 27, 2011

Kato David Kisule

I am in shock.


Literal shock. Just heard that one of our members, a prominent gay activist, an out and out man, who has been at the forefront of the gay rights movement in Uganda, David Kato Kisule was murdered. Dead, a blunt instrument to the skull.

Dead. In Lugazi Hospital at the moment.


What to do? Shock. Shock, shock.


So, I write, to try and express that which I feel. But, what can words express?


Kato. A disturbed friend. One of our very special brand of radical activists. He used to say that he was one of the very 'out' if not the first out gay man in Uganda.


And, yes, he was one of the people whose photo appeared in the Rolling Stone, one of the three plaintiffs who sued, and won the court case.


Yes, I am paranoid. I wonder whether it had any bearing. Whether that had bearing....!


Impossible, most likely, to prove cause and effect. We just don't know. And, we are most likely to strike out in our grief at the nearest enemy.

But, is it a coincidence?


Gosh.


-------

Shock indeed.


Just settled down. Apart from trying to inform lots of other people who have already received the news. I have to settle down, get some rest, and then prepare for work tomorrow. Cannot just bounce off just like that.


But, I need to settle down. The shock, the realisation of all the things we fear, and brush off, and hope never ever to face. But, one of our own is gone.


Gone in a violent way. Gone, for reasons that I am as yet to know, or figure out... Oh gosh.


----


More settled now, but no less shocked. That is what it does to you, a sudden death like this.


David was apparently killed in his home, by a person or persons unknown. Yes, there is a suspect, or suspects. Problem with investigations in Uganda is the fact that what is not verified will always remain in the realms of conjecture.


What remains is that we have lost one of our most prominent firebrands. Indeed, he was on the front page of the Rolling Stone with Bishop Ssenyonjo. Remember, the one with the caption to 'Hang Them'. And yes, he was one of the three who sued the Rolling Pebble, and won.


Kato David Kisule. RIP




gug

1 comment:

Leonard said...

Stay quiet and take good care of yourself--the shock will lift but the paranoia must not get out of control--true, the murder is real, the threat to Bishop Ssenyonjo is staggering, the fear of the other plantiffs must be great--sometimes it takes this kind of brutality to realize the threats aren´t.

Just so you know, my partner of 14 years was murdered 12 years ago...he was a little more than a week short of his 35th birthday--and yes, they entered his home and murdered him--the murder was never solved (and his parents didn´t let it hit the newspapers)...something don´t ever make sense or resolve themselves with justice--injustice is something we know, all of us no matter where we are.

Lord have mercy on Kato David and Jose Luis and may they enjoy one another, peace and friendship at the great rainbow beyond.

Please be careful, the sick people are real and often deadly.

Love to you and all the Kuchus in Uganda,

Leonardo Ricardo, Central America

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