Boris Johnson, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, has revealed how they have been engaging President Yoweri Museveni to recognize and protect gay rights in exchange for political backing ahead of the 2026 general elections.
In his newly released book “UnleashED,” Mr. Boris glaringly talked about his engagement with Museveni over gay rights during his tenure as the UK premier and also expressed the role played by the Ugandan President in ensuring peace and security in the Great Lakes region.
“I spent happy hours talking to Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni, that ancient bush fighter who is so important for the peace of the region, from Somalia to the Congo to Sudan. He is crucial, and though we may disapprove of some of his prejudices (such as his 2014 ban on gay sex), we have to engage with him more, or else he will just talk to others instead,” Johnson writes in UNLEASHED.
Despite the recent sanctions on Ugandan officials on allegations of human rights violations and the lack of the rule of law, the West and the US are instead increasing their funding and cooperation with the East African country, especially Uganda.
The NUP president, Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine, has visited and met with different leaders both in the UK, the US, and some other EU countries calling for sanctions, but all this has yielded nothing and instead has increased trust in Museveni from the West.
NUP supporters have been using gay rights activism in the diaspora to discredit the Ugandan government and also mobilize funds to run the party activities at home.
Now with the UK’s shift to engage with Museveni over gay rights in Uganda, this could negatively affect NUP financially ahead of 2026 considering the role played by the West in mobilising funds.
According to the outgoing British High Commissioner to Uganda, Ms. Kate Airey OBE, the UK has extended over $300 million in the energy, health, and education sectors. Sources have also revealed that the UK is planning to increase its funding to Uganda if Museveni acknowledges the gay rights in Uganda.
