Kanye West and Kim Kardashian slammed for visiting a ‘dictator who tortures, kills and persecutes' gay people – and giving him sneakers

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Kanye West and wife Kim Kardashian have been criticized for meeting with a Ugandan dictator who has made homosexuality illegal.

The rapper and his reality star partner visited Yoweri Museveni and presented him with a pair of the producer's Yeezy trainers. 

But the pair have been criticized on social media for meeting the Ugandan president due to his  treatment of gay people, who are routinely arrested and tortured in the east African nation in crackdowns on the LGBT community.

Kanye and Kim visited the State House in Entebbe for a brief meeting with President Museveni and his daughter Diana today.

They jetted to Uganda over the weekend with their five-year-old daughter North for a vacation in one of the country's national parks.

Rapper Kanye West (left) and Kim Kardashian (right) pose for a photograph with Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni when they met with him today

Kim Kardashian autographed a Yeezy trainer for Uganda's President Museveni during their meeting at the State Hous in Entebbe, Uganda

The couple have been criticized for meeting the dictator due to his human rights record and treatment of gay people

They are believed to have left their younger children, Saint, two, and Chicago, nine months, at home.

They discussed tourism and promoting Uganda's arts and tourism, the president revealed on Twitter as he shared photographs of their get together and thanked Kanye for his 'white sneakers'.  

Twitter users blasted the Chicago-born musician for seemingly supporting dictators. 

Kasalina said on Twitter: 'It seems to me like Kanye is obsessed with siding with our oppressors. Trump is honestly trash and that’s his superhero. Museveni is a literal dictator and he’s gifting him with sneakers. wth? 

Jobe Sithole posted on Twitter: 'What is thug Yoweri Museveni of Uganda doing with Kanye West? I just saw pics of the two men.'

Mithrandir Nikolaj said: 'Kanye West lost my respect when he visited Museveni. From visiting the Greatest President who brought entire new civilization in America to the last standing dictatorship African President.'

US rapper Kanye West sports a large hoodie on the steps of the president's State House. Two years ago the dictator ordered police to arrest anyone wearing a hoodie

The musician and the dictator were said to have had 'fruitful' discussions about promoting Uganda's art and tourism 

Kanye was criticized for seeming to support 'oppressors' who he presented with sneakers

Another man added: 'Kanye GOD who I believe is the most high will never forgive you to side with the dictators oppressing Uganda at the expense of people tortured and killed because of their political differences with museveni. In name of painting Uganda as a good country.'  

Other social media users suggested that President Museveni might not have known who Kim and Kanye were.

Martha Kay joked: 'I am sure museveni didn't know Kanye and Kim West before they came to Uganda, he might forget them the moment they leave.'

Davirai Musingarabwi wrote: 'Yoweri Kaguta Museveni banned the hoodie in June2018. Adding insult to injury to Ugandans who would rather 'hoodie' (man on the right) hosted the hoodied Kanye West and Kim K West.'

In July it was reported that Uganda police chiefs had ordered all officers to arrest and detain any driver or cyclist found wearing a hood following a high profile murder.

The visit to the State House comes less than a week after Kanye's visit to the White House to meet with Donald Trump in which he launched a bizarre ten-minute rant voicing his support for the president.

President Museveni to Twitter after their meeting to thank the famous pair for their visit and wished them a happy trip.

Some said they lost respect for Kanye West after his meeting with the Ugandan president 

Others branded President Museveni a 'thug' due to his civil rights violations in his home country 

Kanye West met with Donald Trump at the Oval Office and went on a ten-minute rant in support of the president 

Some social media users joked the president might not know who Kanye West actually is during their meeting today 

President Museveni shared the news that Kanye West and wife Kim Kardashian had visited his State House on Twitter

He wrote: 'I welcome American entertainment stars Kanye West and Kim Kardashian to Uganda. I held fruitful discussions with the duo on how to promote Uganda's tourism and the arts.

'I think Kanye for the gift of white sneakers. Enjoy your time in Uganda. It is the true Pearl of Africa.'

Also present for the meeting was Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda's Major General and Senior Adviser to the president, and Museveni's daughter Diana. 

Homosexuality is illegal in Uganda, along with 35 other African countries, under colonial-era laws, punishable by a jail sentence. 

For two consecutive years an annual gay pride event was cancelled and critics of the regimes have faced increasing levels of restrictions.

In 2014, Museveni signed into law a bill toughening criminal penalties against homophobia, with the police continuing to harass LGBT people. 

Human Rights Watch compiled evidence of the use of forced examinations to 'prove' homosexuality, in which police have illegally used the HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control Act.

Uganda's government has been criticized over its treatment of a local pop star-turned-opposition politician, Bobi Wine, who alleges he was tortured by security forces - an act the government denies.