Today marks 62 years since Uganda gained its independence in 1962 from its British colonel. This day is declared a public holiday marked by celebrations, national pride, and reflections on the struggles that led to political freedom. But beneath the surface, there is a sobering truth. Although Uganda is politically independent, it is not yet free. For many of us especially those who identify as transgender and gender diverse independence remains an elusive dream, overshadowed by laws that criminalize our very existence as Ugandans.
As a transgender youth woman in Uganda, I stand at the crossroads of this paradox. How can we celebrate independence while living under the shadow of the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023, a law that perpetuates colonial legacies of repression? If independence means liberation from oppression, then we are not free yet. We are still bound by colonial shackles, and it is time to break them once and for all.
Uganda’s journey to independence was fueled by a desire for self-determination, sovereignty, for the right to govern ourselves and shape our destiny as a country. Yet, 62 years later, many of the laws that control and marginalize us are relics of colonial rule. Laws that criminalize LGBTQ+ people like the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 and the Penal Code Act are rooted in the very systems of oppression that colonizers used to dominate our societies.
Pre-colonial African cultures, including those in Uganda, had diverse understandings of gender and sexuality. These cultures celebrated the fluidity of identity, and gender non-conforming individuals held valued roles in their communities. Colonialism sought to erase these practices, replacing them with rigid, heteronormative, and cis-normative structures that aligned with Victorian moral codes. Homosexuality and gender variance were criminalized not because they were inherently “un-African,” but because they threatened the colonial agenda of control.
In 1962 when Uganda gained independence, the country seemed to have shed the overt rule of the British Empire. However, the legal systems and social norms that colonialism left behind were never truly dismantled. Like the laws that continue to police our bodies and identities, enforcing the same colonial ideologies that once sought to subjugate us.
Independence celebrations often focus on the victories of the past, but we must also confront the ongoing struggles of the present. When we celebrate Uganda’s independence are we celebrating liberation for all Ugandans? If it is yes, then these celebrations are not reflected in the lived realities of transgender and gender-diverse Ugandans who constantly feel Independence Day is not a celebration but a reminder of our continued marginalization.
True independence is about more than political sovereignty. It is about creating a society where every individual can live freely, with dignity, and without fear in their own country. Yet, for the transgender, gender diverse, and LGBTQ+ Ugandans, fear is a constant companion. The Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 and the Penal Code Act have given legal cover to hatred, violence, and discrimination. It has emboldened those who seek to erase and relegate us to the margins of society.
This is not independence. This is not freedom. And this is not the Uganda that many of us envision for our future.
We need to decolonize Uganda. Decolonization is more than a historical process—it is an ongoing struggle. It requires us to dismantle the structures and systems that continue to oppress us, including those enshrined in law. To decolonize Uganda, we must confront the reality that our legal system still upholds the same ideologies of control and discrimination that were introduced by colonizers.
The Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 is a glaring example of this. It perpetuates colonial notions of morality and power, using the law to criminalize love, identity, and existence. It is not enough to remove the visible symbols of colonial rule, we must also remove the legal and social legacies imported by colonizers that continue to harm any Ugandan including gender and sexual minorities. .
Decolonization means reclaiming our cultures and histories, including the diverse understandings of gender and sexuality that existed before colonialism. It means recognizing that LGBTQ+ Ugandans have always been part of the fabric of this society and that our rights are not foreign impositions but inherent to our humanity.
As we reflect on 62 years of independence, we must also look forward to the future we want to build. Uganda cannot truly be independent until all of its people are free. This means nullifying the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 and decriminalizing LGBTQ+ identities. It means creating a society where every individual, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation, can live their authentic lives, with dignity, respect, and full legal protection.
We need leaders who are willing to stand up for equality, not those who cling to colonial-era laws in the name of tradition or morality. True independence means rejecting the systems of oppression that were imposed on us and building new ones that reflect the values of inclusion, diversity, and justice. It means recognizing that Uganda’s strength lies in its people—all of its people—and that no one should be left behind.
As a transgender woman, I dream of a Uganda where I can walk freely in my identity, without fear of violence or arrest. I dream of a Uganda where love is not a crime, and where gender diversity is celebrated, not punished. This is the Uganda that independence promised us, and this is the Uganda we must continue to fight for.
On this Independence Day, let us remember that the work of liberation is not finished. We cannot claim to be free while laws like the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 still exist. We cannot celebrate independence while transgender and LGBTQ+ Ugandans are still criminalized, marginalized, and erased.
The time has come for this country to break free from the colonial shackles that still bind us. The time has come to decolonize Uganda, in all its entirety including abandoning all colonial laws. Independence is not just about political freedom—it is about the liberation of all people. And until all of us are free, none of us are truly free or independent.
Uganda can and must do better. Let this Independence Day be a call to action, a reminder that the struggle for freedom is far from over. We owe it to ourselves, to our ancestors, and to future generations to build a Uganda that is truly free, just, and equal for all.
Author:
Nana Millers
Executive Director, Trans Youth Initiative – Uganda
Editorial Credits:
Kazibwe Sylvester
