Pepe Julian Onziema is a Ugandan human rights defender working at the intersection of community organising, legal advocacy, and movement-building for LGBTIQ people and other marginalised communities. He cofounded and currently serves as Director of Programs at Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), where he leads strategic programming, advocacy initiatives, and partnerships aimed at challenging discriminatory laws and strengthening community-led responses to human rights violations.

As an openly transgender man living and working in Uganda, Pepe brings a lived-experience perspective to his work, with a focus on protection, resilience, and systems change in high-risk environments. His practice spans regional engagement across Africa, and includes support to grassroots organisations, leadership development for emerging activists, and the design of community-informed interventions addressing violence and exclusion.

He recently partnered with Kuchu Times Media Group to launch the Legacy-Pulse-with-Pepe-Onziema a storytelling initiative that amplifies underrepresented historical narratives. His broader work reflects a commitment to combining advocacy, storytelling, and capacity strengthening as complementary strategies for social change.

He has gained recognitions include the Hero of the Year Award from Stonewall UK, and the GLAAD award for “Outstanding Talk show Episode” for his appearance on the John Oliver Last Week Tonight show.