Mark Kiyimba

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Mark Kiyimba
CitizenshipUganda
Occupations Pastor & Activist
Known forActivism
TitleDirector of Unitarian Universalist Church

Mark Kiyimba is a Ugandan Unitarian Universalist minister, social activist and human rights advocate best known for his opposition to the anti-LGBTQ+legislation in Uganda (LGBT rights in Uganda). He has been recognised internationally for his work in human rights and community support. [1] [2]

Contents

Ministry and Community Work

Mark Kiyimba is the founding minister and director of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Kampala, Uganda, a congregation that emphasizes social justice, inclusivity and human dignity. The church is involved in community outreach programs, including an orphanage and a school serving children with HIV/AIDS and those who lost their parents to this disease. [3] He also found a school New Life Primary School which has enrolled about 505 children and they are provided with basic education and values. He started a home for orphans (New Life Children's Home) in Masaka, Uganda. [4]

Under his leadership, the church became a focal point for progressive religious discourse in a society where conservative religious voices often dominated public debates. [1]

Activism

Kiyimba has been a vocal opponent of Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Bill, publicly criticizing its punitive measures and advocating for the protection of human rights. in 2010, he organized a "Standing on the Side of Love: Reimagining Valentine's Day" as peaceful protest against the bill, which proposed harsh penalties for same-sex relations.. [5] [6] His advocacy has taken him beyond Uganda's boarders: Kiyimba has traveled Internationally including United States to raise awareness and build alliances with human rights communities abroad in efforts to encounter the bill and support LGBTQ+rights. [3] [7] [8]

International Recognition

In recognition of his efforts in human rights and comunity leadership, Mark Kiyimba was awarded the 2012 Virginia Uribe Award for Creative Leadership in Human Rights by the National Education Association (NEA) of the United States. This Award honors individuals who exhibit extraordinary leadership in the protection and expansion of human rights. [9]

Public Speaking and Engagement

Kiyimba has been invited to speak at various International forums. In 2010, he was featured as a guest speaker at Pacific Coast Christian College (PCC) in the United States, where he addressed issues of discrimination and shared his perspective on the implications of anti-homosexuality legislation in Uganda. [10]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Reverend Mark Kiyimba". Pensacola News Journal. Retrieved 2025-12-17.
  2. ↑ "Rev. Mark Kiyimba to speak about the struggle for LGBT Rights in Uganda | First Unitarian Congregational Society in Brooklyn" . Retrieved 2025-12-17.
  3. 1 2 Prentice, George (November 10, 2010). "Rev. Mark Kiyimba 'I found compassionate people who are willing to stand with us.'". Boise Weekly. Archived from the original on 7 April 2012. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
  4. ↑ Proctor, Abe. "Ugandan Reverend to speak on discrimination | News at PCC". www.pcc.edu. Retrieved 2025-12-17.
  5. ↑ Greer, Jane (February 22, 2010). "Ugandan UUs oppose anti-homosexuality bill". UU World. Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
  6. ↑ Branch, Gregory (March 5, 2010). "Ugandan activists to petition government to scrap anti-gay bill". The Institute on Religion and Public Policy. Archived from the original on 25 August 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
  7. ↑ Pierce, Jacob (October 27, 2010). "Rev. Mark Kiyimba: On the front lines of the fight for gay rights in Uganda". Willamette Week. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
  8. ↑ Blackie, John (3 August 2014). "Reverend Mark Kiyimba". Pensacola News Journal. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  9. ↑ "2012 Virginia Uribe Award for Creative Leadership in Human Rights". National Education Association. Archived from the original on 4 May 2017. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  10. ↑ Proctor, Abe. "Ugandan Reverend to speak on discrimination | News at PCC". www.pcc.edu. Retrieved 2025-12-17.

Further reading



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