KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
GUEST SPEAKERS
Kizza Samuel Ganafa-Executive Director - Spectrum Uganda Initiative Inc
Kizza Samuel Ganafa a human rights activity with a longstanding interest in serving LGBTIQ+ community with an history of one of the very first few people to Form and lead LGBTIQ+ movements in Uganda at the peak of constant persecution, hate and murders of individuals thought to be or associate with Gay acts.
As a human rights activist my work has been rotating around defending, strategizing, creating partnerships and looking out for ways through which the community evolves and survives despite the turmoil times, other activities stretched to assisting individuals in trial preparations on Gay sex cases, identifying and referral for pro bono services, assisted several individuals to secure asylum after being persecuted in this country for their sexuality. I successfully hosted or housed many individuals facing eviction from public housing, including community organizations at my personal home. In addition to authoring reference letters for community organizations and individuals seeking funding and financial support from donor agencies.
Currently the Executive Director for Spectrum Uganda Initiative (SUI) an MSM/Gay organization whose activities are carried out across Uganda. Spectrum Uganda Initiative collaborates with various stakeholders to advocate for human rights, especially the health rights of sexual and gender minorities at national, regional, and international levels. SUI also promotes access to quality and appropriate health services for all men who have sex with men in Uganda.
Jay Mulucha - the founder and executive director - Fem Alliance a grassroots organization that serves LGBTI Ugandans mostly in southern Kampala.
Mulucha Jay is a Ugandan Transgender man. He is a trans and human rights activist. Executive director and founder of Fem Alliance Uganda. Fem Alliance (FEMA) is an LBTQ organization that brings together LBTQ persons in Uganda to advocate for respect and protection of their rights.
Jay is the founding member and the current Board Chairperson of Trans Network Uganda and further sits on various boards and committees which include, Steering committee of East Africa Trans Health & Advocacy Network (EATHAN),Trans Men and HIV working group, Board of Trans Survivors Network and his a Country representative for Community Rights
and Gender (CRG). He is also an Alumni with Young African Leaders Initiative (Mandela Washington Fellowship, 2017) at Bowling Green State University. Jay holds a certificate in leadership skills and a graduate in computer science at Kampala International University. He is also a basketball player, a qualified basketball coach, referee and also manages a queer basketball team in Uganda. Jay Mulucha derives passion from trying to make Africa a friendlier place for the current and future LGBTQ individuals.
Isaac Mugisha- Safety and Security Focal Point - Uganda Key Populations Consortium
Isaac is an African celebrated Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+) rights activist. He has dedicated his life to ensure LGBTQ+ activists have access to essential services, justice and information in Uganda. He has proactively taken part in key events and milestones in the LGBTQ+ space in Uganda. For example, in 2016, he took over the leadership of Pride Uganda as coordinator, a role he continues to serve in. In his leadership, the coordination and community participation increased even when police continue to interrupt the organizing.
He’s also currently the co-chair alternate Male for Pan-African ILGA since 2021, a network of all LGBTQ+ organizations on the African continent.
Isaac is also currently employed the Safety and Security focal point for Uganda Key Populations Consortium with a personal vision of having Uganda as a country that respects Human Rights for all.
Victor Chikalogwe - Program Manager for Gender Rights and LGBTIQ Advocacy Program manager.
Youba Darif -Regional Coordinator of SIBA
Youba is a young genderfluid indigenous activist from North Africa, Morocco. The founder of Roots Lab for Gender and Development, a youth LGBTIQ+ led grassroots organization working on gender related issues to promote equity, equality and freedoms in Morocco. The co-chair of the African Queer Youth Intiative, a network of youth activists and organisations mobilizing, supporting and amplifying the voice of LGBTIQ activists, building visibility and strategic networks in support of LGBTIQ youth in Africa. The regional coordinator of SIBA, a youth led and youth oriented network creating a promoting youth leadership in HIV response and Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights. And, a Youth Rise international committee member mobilizing youth to be engaged in harm reduction and drug policy reform to promote health and human rights.
Niwagaba Nicholas -Country Director -Triggerise
Niwagaba Nicholas is an expert in public health. He has more than ten years of experience designing and running innovative programs for sexual and reproductive health (SRH), HIV, gender, community and health system strengthening, and youth in Uganda and all over Africa. He has extensive experience in collaborative partnerships, lobbying and advocacy, governance, and youth leadership. He has worked with and served on a number of international boards, such as the community’s delegation to the Global Fund board, the UNAIDS PCB board, the Global Fund’s community rights and gender department, the Uganda Sexual Reproductive Health Alliance, and the African Network for the Care of Children Affected by HIV/AIDS (ANECCA). Nicholas is currently working as the country director with Triggerise, where he manages an HIV/SRH integration program.
Dr. Stella Nyanzi- Social Science Research Associate-Medical Research Council
Juliet Nnedinma Ulanmo- is a Director of Programs-Women Initiative for Sustainable Empowerment and Equality (WISE)
She is a co-founder and the Director of Programs, Women Initiative for
Sustainable Empowerment and Equality (WISE). A lawyer by training, she is deeply passionate
about women’s rights. An advocate of gender equality, sexual and reproductive rights of women
and an advocate for the human rights of LGBTIQ+ people, as well as other minority and
vulnerable communities and she has major interest in public interest litigation.
As the Director of Program – Women Initiative for Sustainable Empowerment and Equality
(WISE) her responsibilities include providing programmatic direction and support in developing
strategies for advocacy and empowerment programs that promotes innovative approaches that
enables visibility for LBQ+ women and girl’s community in northern Nigeria and ensures that
these women and girls access rights, are able to advocate against discriminations and violations
and empowered to ensure equality.
Nnedinma was a member of the Working Group that put together the first and remarkably
successful Global Feminist LBQ Women* Conference that held in July 2019, in Cape Town,
South Africa. She was the focal person of the fundraising sub-committee of the Working Group.
She is the current past Pan Africa ILGA Female Co-Chair and the current Chairperson of the
Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL) Board. She has served on several Governing Boards,
including as a member of the steering committee and member of the interim Board of the West
Africa LGBTIQ+ Activists Fund now known as ISDAO.
As a result of her activism in 2019 and the many works that she was involved in that seeks to
bring about meaningful change, Nnedinma was selected by COC Nederland as their West
African Front-liner Activist for 2019 and was featured in their Annual Report. She was also
inducted into the Youth Education and Leadership Initiative Change Network as an Ambassador
of Change 2020, amongst others.
