KAMPALA – Ugandan police said yesterday that a man had confessed to murdering a gay rights activist after a “personal disagreement” in an attack last week that sparked worldwide fury.
David Kato, one of the country’s most visible gay campaigners, was beaten to death with a hammer at his home last Thursday and died on the way to hospital.
Homosexuality is taboo in many African nations. Mr Kato had been featured in an anti-gay newspaper in October that “outed” people it said were gay and called on the government to kill them. His photograph was published on the cover under the headline: “Hang Them”. The activist said he had received death threats since the publication.
“The prime suspect, Nsubuga Enock, was arrested today at around 4pm when he went to visit his girlfriend,” police spokesman Vincent Ssetake said. “He has confessed to the murder. It wasn’t a robbery and it wasn’t because Kato was an activist. It was a personal disagreement but I can’t say more than that.”
Police said last week that Enock, whom they described as a “well-known thief”, had been staying with Mr Kato after the activist bailed him out of prison in January. Mr Kato’s driver was also arrested in connection with the murder. Police could not confirm whether he had since been released. – (Reuters)