Police in Uganda have arrested two women for kissing in public. The arrest happened under the strict anti-gay law of the country, which is widely considered one of the harshest in the world.
The 2023 Anti-Homosexuality Act in Uganda carries heavy punishments. People found guilty of consensual same-sex relations can face life in prison. Offenses grouped under aggravated homosexuality can attract the death penalty.
The two arrested women are in their twenties. Police picked them up after neighbors filed a complaint in Arua, a city located in northwestern Uganda. The suspects have remained in police custody without a lawyer since February 18.
Josephine Angucia, a local police spokesperson, spoke about the incident on Tuesday. She noted that neighbors took pictures of the women to use as evidence.
“Neighbours contacted police complaining the two were practicing homosexuality and were seen kissing each other in public,” Angucia stated.
“They had seen many women going onto their one-roomed rented residence and spending nights there in what they suspected was same-sex orgies,” the spokesperson added.
Angucia confirmed that the police have sent the case file to the state prosecutor for advice and a possible court appearance.
Frank Mugisha, a human rights advocate, condemned the arrest on the social media platform X. He explained that the incident shows the sad reality that victims face under the law.
“It has fueled a dangerous cycle of blackmail and extortion,” Mugisha said. “Criminals are now using this law as a weapon to prey on the LGBTQ+ community, knowing their victims are too terrified to seek protection.”
Uganda is a highly conservative country. The passage of the anti-gay law previously caused the United Nations and Western countries to condemn the government.
The World Bank also stopped giving funds to the country for a period before resuming financial support in mid-2025.
