Fights at funeral of murdered gay activist in Uganda

(AFP/Getty)

Scuffles broke out between locals and friends of a murdered Ugandan gay activist at his funeral yesterday, after the pastor conducting the service berated gay people.

David Kato was beaten to death with a hammer on Wednesday. His photo was printed on the cover of a newspaper last October that called for gays to be executed, under the headline: "Hang them."

Ugandan police say preliminary investigations point to Mr Kato being killed during a robbery but human rights activists suspect his death was linked to his sexuality.

During the funeral, the pastor lashed out at homosexuality, provoking a strong reaction from friends of Mr Kato. Gay activists, wearing T-shirts featuring Mr Kato's face with sleeves coloured with the gay pride flag, stormed the pulpit.