Uganda

Ugandan Olympic athlete dies after being severely burned in gasoline attack

5:50am September 05, 2024

Rebecca Cheptegei, who was 33, had competed at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. She died from organ failure after being set on fire by a man local authorities described as Cheptegei's partner.

Health & Safety

Uganda's gold medal runner wants all kids to 'make it.' But they need help

1:32pm August 08, 2024

by James Kassaga Arinaitwe

Joshua Cheptegei, who grew up in rural Uganda, is the record holder in the 10,000-meter race and an Olympic champion. Here's what we should do for all youngsters to help them fulfill their dreams.

The aftermath of a mudslide that ripped through villages on the foothills of Mount Elgon in 2012, killing at least 18 people. The slopes of this extinct volcano in eastern Uganda have become increasingly prone to such disasters as a result of climate change. The looming question: How do you help people find a safe new place to live?

Why villagers haven't left a mudslide prone mountain — and how a novel plan might help

10:19am November 14, 2023

by Nurith Aizenman

On an extinct volcano in Uganda, hundreds of thousands face disaster due to climate change. The charity GiveDirectly is trying a surprising approach to help them get out of harm's way.

In 2019, NPR covered the story of Renee Bach, an American missionary who said she was called by God to serve the children of Uganda. Now HBO is presenting her story in the documentary series White Savior.

Health & Safety

How NPR covered the missionary who ran a center for malnourished kids where 105 died

4:24pm September 26, 2023

by Marc Silver

In 2019, NPR covered the story of Renee Bach, who said she was called by God to serve the children of Uganda. Now HBO is presenting her story in the documentary series 'Savior Complex.'

A gay Ugandan man holds a pride flag as he poses for a photograph in Uganda in March.

World News

Uganda starts charging people under extreme anti-LGBTQ law, raising execution fears

3:07pm August 29, 2023

by Emmanuel Akinwotu

Two men in Uganda are the first to be charged with "aggravated homosexuality" under a harsh new law that carries the death penalty. Their cases highlight the threats for LGBTQ+ people in Uganda.

In this image made from video, people gather on Saturday in front of a building of the Lhubiriha Secondary School Mpondwe, Uganda, near the border with Congo following an attack on the school.

World News

At least 41 have been killed in a suspected rebel attack on a Ugandan school

1:34pm June 17, 2023

by The Associated Press

Police said rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces, who have been launching attacks for years from their bases in eastern Congo, carried out the raid on the school in the border town of Mpondwe.

Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema speaks during their picket against Uganda's anti-homosexuality bill at the Ugandan High Commission in Pretoria, South Africa on April 4, 2023. Uganda's president Yoweri Museveni has signed into law tough new anti-gay legislation supported by many in the country but widely condemned by rights activists and others abroad.

World News

A new anti-gay law in Uganda calls for life in prison for those who are convicted

6:05pm May 29, 2023

by Jackie Northam

The bill, signed into law by President Yoweri Museveni on Monday, calls for life imprisonment for anyone convicted of homosexuality. It drew swift condemnation from rights groups around the world.

Ugandans take part in the 3rd Annual Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Pride celebrations in Entebbe, Uganda, Saturday, Aug. 9, 2014.

World News

Extreme anti-gay legislation has much of Uganda's LGBTQ community living in fear

5:34am April 21, 2023

by Halimah Abdullah

For Uganda's LGBTQ community, the threat of harsh anti-gay legislation is forcing many into hiding and has left some facing unbearable choices about their future there.

Queue Listen Now

Members of the Abayudaya Jewish community of Uganda engage in the ritual of burning leavened foods before the Jewish holiday of Passover. There are some 2,500 Abayudaya Jews in the country. In the past they have faced persecution for their beliefs but are steadfast in their commitment to Judaism.

For Passover, I sent matzo to the Jews of Uganda. They've given me a gift as well

11:09am April 02, 2023

by Dan Ornstein

An American rabbi reflects on his online friendship with Jacob, a member of Uganda's Abayudaya Jewish community — and what he has learned from their conversations.

Kenyan gays and lesbians and others supporting their cause wear masks to preserve their anonymity as they stage a rare protest against Uganda's tough stance against homosexuality and in solidarity with their counterparts there, outside the Uganda High Commission in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2014.

World News

Uganda to jail people who identify as LGBTQ in one of world's most anti-gay laws

9:18pm March 22, 2023

by Emmanuel Akinwotu

Uganda's parliament has passed sweeping new anti-LGBTQ+ laws with tougher punishments, making some acts punishable by death.