KUCHU TIMES

Campaigning Award (organisation) | Winner | Freedom of Expression Awards

Today, Index on Censorship announces Palestinian lawyer and prison advocate, Kuchu Times as one of two winners of the 2024 Freedom of Expression Awards in the Campaigning category.

The Campaigning category honours activists and campaigners who have had a marked impact in fighting censorship and promoting freedom of expression.

Ruth Muganzi, the programs director for Kuchu Times, said: "The right to use our voices and our stories, to speak out and defend our lives, is a right worth fighting for. To be silent will never be an option."

Kuchu Times is a media platform created for and by LGBTQ Ugandans. It was created as a reaction to the state’s anti-LGBTQ laws and the use of homophobia and hate by the state’s supporters towards the LGBTQ community. Its work focuses on ensuring that LGBTQ Ugandans have access to information that speaks to their needs, that there is a diverse representation and visibility of their reality and that those seeking knowledge on the LGBTQ+ Ugandan movement and community can access verifiable information.

Jemimah Steinfeld, CEO of Index on Censorship said: “It takes a brave band of people to run a media platform like Kuchu Times and their work should be commended. More than that - they give a voice to the stories and experiences of so many within Uganda, filling a hole that is desperately needed.”

The joint winner of the Campaigning Award is Diala Ayesh.

The Freedom of Expression Awards celebrate the brave efforts of individuals and organisations worldwide to protect free expression, advocate for the right to information, and combat censorship. Selected by a distinguished panel of judges, the winners are honoured for their extraordinary courage and commitment to truth, justice, and human rights—often in the face of serious threats, including harassment, imprisonment, and even death.