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.

By securing space led by key populations themselves for determining a health advocacy and policy agenda, UKPC left the status quo behind and developed an expectation that key populations should be prioritized in directly occupying policy spaces, conceptualizing and implementing programs, and in capacity expansion efforts. Although still in its early stages of advocacy, the UKPC has already marked important victories.