In 2013, Pepe was shortlisted for the David Kato Vision and Voice Award, an award in honour of his murdered friend and colleague, and fellow advocacy officer for Sexual Minorities Uganda, David Kato. The interview itself was uploaded to the internet and became the subject of various internet memes.
The interview later turned into a wild dispute when pastor and anti-gay activist Martin Ssempa came into the show trying to discredit Onziema, with fruits and vegetables, while shouting in both English and Luganda over the moderator. In 2012, he was invited on the Ugandan television show Morning Breeze hosted by Simon Kaggwa Njala, to join a debate about sexual minorities and their situation in Uganda. He has since participated in organizing LGBT pride celebrations in Uganda. He began his human rights work in 2003, which has twice led to his arrest. In 2012, he was named a Global Citizen by the Clinton Global Initiative for his work in human rights advocacy. Pepe Julian Onziema (born November 30, 1980) is a Ugandan LGBT rights and human rights activist. Program Director of Sexual Minorities Uganda
