Our Mission
To facilitate coordination of Key Populations towards the realization of their health, human rights and socio-economic justice.
Our Vision
We Envision: “Key Populations meaningfully coordinated and have secured full social, political,legal and economic inclusion in society”.
Our Objectives
The UKPC has the following four main objectives:
- To coordinate and amplify the voices of key populations in Uganda on issues related to the right to health, and funding for effective health service delivery
- To mobilise and facilitate efficient and accountable use of resources that support interventions of KPs on HIV/AIDs, sexual and reproductive health rights(SRHR), and other aspects of health rights
- To facilitate networking and coordination amongst its membership and between its members and key stakeholders
- To foster effective information sharing and communication on key issues of common concern
- To coordinate and amplify the voices of key populations in Uganda on issues related to the right to health, and funding for effective health service delivery
- To mobilise and facilitate efficient and accountable use of resources that support interventions of KPs on HIV/AIDs, sexual and reproductive health rights(SRHR), and other aspects of health rights
- To facilitate networking and coordination amongst its membership and between its members and key stakeholders
- To foster effective information sharing and communication on key issues of common concern
About Us
We are Uganda Key Population Consortium
The Uganda Key Population Consortium – UKPC was formed on 19th July 2018 at Mulago Referral Hospital, Kampala to bring together representatives of Key Populations (KPs) to collectively define and advocate for issues of common concern including response to shrinking resources and space for key population-led organizations. The UKPC thus serves as an advocacy platform coordinating strategic action and supporting systems and structure strengthening for all members.
The UKPC’s membership is comprised of national key population CSO networks in Uganda, specifically, the Uganda Harm Reduction Network (UHRN), Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), Uganda Network for Sex Workers Organizations (UNESO), Tranz Network Uganda (TNU) and other key population organizations that may not necessarily be part of those networks. UKPC also engages with global health and human rights organizations who act in solidarity in the design and implementation of our policy agenda.
Our Values
UKPC prides in:
1. Honouring Diversity and Inclusion: UKPC celebrates and values all individuals and recognises that understanding and appreciating the diversity of KPs will result in more effective actions. We believe that Nothing Is About Us Without Us and that interventions to be impactful and sustainable they must be us by us.
2. Empowerment: UKPC understands empowerment as a process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one’s life and claiming one’s rights. UKPC believes in the human dignity, agency and autonomy of KPs. Through its interventions, the Consortium seeks to contribute towards empowering KPs. We believe in the greater autonomy of KPS to make decisions and be part of decision-making spaces that shape their lives and realities.
3. Accountability: UKPC believes in accountability at various levels including to its members, to its partners and to KP communities for effective use of all resources entrusted to the Consortium. We do what we promise to do. We are open in communication and provide evidence of past actions informed by evidence-based programming. We practice accountability by providing information to stakeholders about UKPC, its operations and performance. We are accountable not only to those that support our work but to KPs that we represent. We act consistently with our Mission being honest and transparent in what we do and say, and accept responsibility for our collective and individual actions. Everyone at UKPC – at every level – is responsible for their work, their actions-their choices and the results expected by the Consortium as a collective.
4. Participation of Key Populations: UKPC values the participation of all its members, and believes in the importance of active, informed and voluntary involvement of KPs in decision-making while putting KP communities at the centre stage. We work towards promoting the agency and participation of KPs in Africa. Reclaiming back the narratives and having KP voices heard.
5. Professionalism and Excellence – We value excellence, professionalism and commitment to do what we promise to do. We do what we say we shall do. We not only merely do what is right but what is expected of us that leads to collective action in the realisation of health, human rights and socio-economic justice for KPs.
1. Honouring Diversity and Inclusion: UKPC celebrates and values all individuals and recognises that understanding and appreciating the diversity of KPs will result in more effective actions. We believe that Nothing Is About Us Without Us and that interventions to be impactful and sustainable they must be us by us.
2. Empowerment: UKPC understands empowerment as a process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one’s life and claiming one’s rights. UKPC believes in the human dignity, agency and autonomy of KPs. Through its interventions, the Consortium seeks to contribute towards empowering KPs. We believe in the greater autonomy of KPS to make decisions and be part of decision-making spaces that shape their lives and realities.
3. Accountability: UKPC believes in accountability at various levels including to its members, to its partners and to KP communities for effective use of all resources entrusted to the Consortium. We do what we promise to do. We are open in communication and provide evidence of past actions informed by evidence-based programming. We practice accountability by providing information to stakeholders about UKPC, its operations and performance. We are accountable not only to those that support our work but to KPs that we represent. We act consistently with our Mission being honest and transparent in what we do and say, and accept responsibility for our collective and individual actions. Everyone at UKPC – at every level – is responsible for their work, their actions-their choices and the results expected by the Consortium as a collective.
4. Participation of Key Populations: UKPC values the participation of all its members, and believes in the importance of active, informed and voluntary involvement of KPs in decision-making while putting KP communities at the centre stage. We work towards promoting the agency and participation of KPs in Africa. Reclaiming back the narratives and having KP voices heard.
5. Professionalism and Excellence – We value excellence, professionalism and commitment to do what we promise to do. We do what we say we shall do. We not only merely do what is right but what is expected of us that leads to collective action in the realisation of health, human rights and socio-economic justice for KPs.
Why KPs?
– UKPC came to bridge the gap that existed between Donors and Key Population organizations.
-UKPC came to find the intersectionality of the different Key Populations in order to drive the same and unified agenda.
-UKPC works with Key Populations to amplify the already existing voices and get a wider reach of support and advocacy.
UKPC Key Activities
The objectives are attained through key activities that include, but are not limited to the following:
- Routine monitoring of the access and quality of HIV services for key populations funded by the Global Fund, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the national government
- Ongoing engagement with the Ministry of Health regarding policy access and coverage for key populations HIV/AIDS and health services
- Engaging with key stakeholders in the procurement of essential commodities such as condoms, lubricant, sexually transmitted infections (STI) tests, and STI treatment Engaging with UNAIDS, UAC and research team on the size estimates for KPs in Uganda
- Supporting the process of the national KP/PP priority action plan
- Supporting the National KP steering committee at Uganda Aids Commission (UAC)
- Contributing to the KP Technical working group at the Ministry and Health (MoH)
- Participating in CSO core team on engaging PEPFAR and Global Fund
What we do
Fresh Ideas for Key Populations
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Diversity
UKPC respects and values all individuals, and recognises that understanding and appreciating the diversity of KPs will result in more effective actions.
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Empowerment
We understand empowerment as the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one’s life and claiming one’s rights.
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Accountability
UKPC emphasises accountability at various levels including to it members, to its partners and for the effective use of all resources entrusted to the consortium.
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Empowerment
UKPC values the participation of all its members, and believes in the importance of active, informed and voluntary involvement of people in decision-making and the life of their communities.
Our Story
The Story of Uganda Key Population Consortium
Our Team
Our Professionals
Waiswa Batambuze
Programmes ManagerArk Katungi
Finance Manager
Why Choose us
WE GET RESULTS
Solidarity
Key populations in Uganda have routinely faced not only direct threats arising from criminalization, homophobia and transphobia expressed and encouraged at the highest levels of government but also internal challenges arising from insufficient funding alongside very slow transitions away from outmoded arrangements that obstructed direct representation by key populations themselves in national bodies that set HIV and health policy. In the past this fueled weak collaboration among constituency groups.
Coalition Building
Some organizations working in HIV treatment and prevention have made a fundamentally different calculation than the UKPC, determining it unwise to stand with key populations even when solidarity is consistent with evidence and human rights—to say nothing of its ability to strengthen the power and relevance of AIDS activism and civic engagement.
Policy Avocacy
Drawing from these innovative coalitions, activists from key population and non-key population identified organizations in Uganda have developed HIV treatment and prevention advocacy priorities that focus on the accountability of the Government of Uganda, along with the main actors in the Ugandan HIV response, in particular the US Government’s President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
