My name is Solomon John Lukwago. I am 29, gay and from Luwero in central Uganda.
Here is my story, up to the time I fled from everything I loved and knew.
In my life, I didn’t have further education because my parents had no funds to support my education. I had a friend, Bob, who secured a job in a local beauty salon. He came and picked me from the village to go and work with him. I started as a cleaner, eventually promoted to working in the salon, with Bob teaching me how to do manicures and pedicures.
I became experienced, in time, enjoying a client who loved me. He was called Tim, from the UK. He loved my work so much that he requested only I work on his hands and feet. Sometimes, he would wait all day until evening because it was first come, first served in the salon. The fact that I didn’t have further education didn’t bother him one bit.
I felt sorry for him. I visited him several times, and one day, he requested a massage. It was pretty good when he also did the same to me. He used to buy liquor, and often, we did this under the influence of drink, and it was amazing; Tim requested more intimacy, and I accepted. We would watch sex videos, which sometimes made my sex appetite high.
Being gay and in love is an awesome experience.
I realised I was gay, and Tim told me his life details. His English accent was smooth to the ear, and I enjoyed listening to his life experiences. He lived and worked in Southampton, England, and sadly, the time came when he had to return to work. We departed friends, and he gave me gifts like a wristwatch and other gifts before he left.
I really missed him.
I was still living with Bob in a rented room. We also still worked together and started going on outings together.
Here’s what can happen when we tell the wrong person we love them.
One day, when we got back, I asked Bob if we could sleep together. He agreed, and in bed, I started to massage him. Bob asked what the f— was I doing. I told him I loved him, and he asked when had I started that nonsense.
He started alarming, but I managed to calm him down. But in the next two days, he moved out to another rental place, leaving me alone. He told our boss at work, who chased me out of the salon. Bob soon told everyone and any opportunity to get another job went narrow.
I tried to move on.
I tried contacting Tim in England with no success. On my small savings, I started a small salon out of town. I found another new friend, Sadam, who became a client and told me he was also gay. We started a relationship, and life with him was good for a while. But Bob had told so many people I was gay, people would warn us whenever we were seen on the street.
Losing customers, closing down, and fleeing from Uganda.
Soon, my business lost customers, and I had to close down.
I separated from Sadam because of too much talk. We still met up, but far away, near a school late in the day. One day, a night security guard saw us kissing and raised the alarm. Many people came. They captured Sadam, but I escaped. I dashed home, grabbed some money, and fled to the Kenyan border.
In Kenya I went to the Red Cross for help. They arranged for me to go to Kakuma Camp and I arrived in this camp in 2020.
Here, I stay in my shelter. Life is tough compared to what I once enjoyed. I feel lonely without someone special in my life, and while I value my colleagues here in block 12, my life is a misery beyond what I ever imagined.
And all because I was born a bit different to the expectations of others.
Thank you for visiting our website, and especially for reading my story. Please read all of what we share here, Existing in Kakuma and for my colleagues and myself, please do share it on all your social platforms.
