Arua, Uganda. Police in Uganda said they arrested two young women accused of involvement in same-sex acts after they were allegedly seen “openly kissing,” citing the country’s Anti-Homosexuality Act enacted in 2023.
Arrests and allegations
Police said in a statement that the two women, a 22-year-old entertainer and a 21-year-old unemployed colleague, were arrested on February 18 in Arua city in the country’s northwest.
The statement alleged they were “involved in queer and unusual acts believed to be sexual in nature,” and were allegedly seen openly kissing “in broad daylight.” Police said the alleged offences began last year.
Anti-Homosexuality Act and penalties
Uganda enacted the Anti-Homosexuality Act in 2023, defying pressure from Western governments as well as local and international rights groups.
The law is widely seen as among the harshest targeting the LGBT community, carrying a sentence of life in prison for same-sex intercourse and imposing the death penalty in cases deemed “aggravated.”
Police said the aggravated category includes repeat offences, gay sex that transmits terminal illness, or same-sex intercourse with a minor, an elderly person or a person with disabilities.
Related court development
Earlier this month, a Ugandan court dropped a case against the first man in the country to be charged with aggravated homosexuality after finding that the accused was of unsound mind due to prolonged detention on remand.
What do you think the arrests indicate about the enforcement of Uganda’s 2023 Anti-Homosexuality Act?