Uganda officially nominated veteran diplomat and former United Nations Under-Secretary-General Olara Otunnu as a candidate for the next United Nations Secretary-General, sparking controversy among those who see Otunnu as someone who will not stand up for the rights of LGBTQ people at the UN.

Otunnu, 75, is a former Ugandan foreign minister and permanent representative to the UN, and served as the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict. He also helped design the straw poll voting system utilized by the Security Council.

He is one of eight candidates for the top job at the United Nations and one of two Africans in the running to succeed António Guterres as the next UN Secretary-General for the five-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2027. Former Senegal president Macky Sall was nominated by Burundi, but lacks unified support in his home country.

The reaction in Uganda to Otunnu’s candidacy has been a mix of strong official backing and skepticism arising from that endorsement.

Otunnu’s chief sponsor, Ugandan President Museveni, is accused undermining the very principles that Otunnu will promote and protect if his bid for the world’s top most diplomat is successful.

In July 2026, the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) warned of increasing reports of enforced disappearances, torture, arbitrary arrests and restrictions on free expression targeting opposition supporters, journalists and rights defenders.