Bishop Christopher Senyonjo, prominent Ugandan LGBTQ+ ally, dies at 94

Bishop Christopher Senyonjo, a prominent Ugandan Anglican cleric and internationally respected advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, died on July 19 at the age of 94, friends and family have confirmed. He had spent nearly two months in hospital before his passing.

Earlier this month, the advocacy group Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) had appealed on X for prayers and financial contributions to support his medical care, noting his decades of spiritual and moral support for LGBTQ+ people in the country.

“For many years, Bishop has stood with us, offering hope, guidance, and unconditional love,” SMUG wrote on July 6. “Every gift makes a difference, and every prayer brings hope.”

News of his death quickly spread across Ugandan and international media, drawing tributes from human rights defenders and LGBTQ+ organisations. In an obituary, SMUG described deep sorrow at the loss of a leader who “dedicated his life to serving others especially those who had been marginalized and rejected,” and highlighted his faith, kindness, and commitment to human rights as a lasting legacy.

Christopher Senyonjo was born on December 8, 1931. He served as the Anglican Bishop of West Buganda Diocese from 1974 until his retirement in 1998. Before becoming bishop, he studied theology in Uganda and the United States and taught African traditional religion at the Theological College Mukono from 1968. In 1973, he joined Roman Catholic, Seventh-day Adventist and Anglican clergy in a joint project to translate the Bible into Luganda.

After retiring from active diocesan leadership, Senyonjo began a counselling ministry that welcomed LGBTQ+ people who had been excluded from families, schools and churches. He consistently taught that no one needed to change their sexuality to be loved by God.

In 2000, he offered sanctuary to two LGBTQ+ youths who had been cast out because of their sexual orientation. They told him, “This is what we are. People do not understand us but that is what we are.” Their situation profoundly shaped his subsequent public ministry in defence of LGBTQ+ rights in Uganda and abroad.

Senyonjo later founded the St. Paul’s Reconciliation and Equality Centre in Kampala, which provided counselling and support to LGBTQ+ people and worked for inclusion within faith communities. In 2012, he received the Clinton Global Citizen Award for LGBT rights, presented by President Bill Clinton, in recognition of his work for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

Within Uganda’s religious establishment, Senyonjo stood out as one of the very few bishops who consistently preached love and dignity for LGBTQ+ people despite intense pressure and personal risk. Activists and community members describe his death as a major loss for the LGBTQ+ community in Uganda and for affirming faith leaders worldwide.