Two women in their 20s have been arrested in northwestern Uganda for allegedly kissing in public, in a case police say falls under the country’s controversial 2023 Anti-Homosexuality Act.
Police spokesperson Josephine Angucia confirmed the arrest to AFP on Tuesday, stating that neighbours reported the pair after allegedly witnessing them engage in same-sex intimacy.
Neighbours contacted police complaining the two were practicing homosexuality and were seen kissing each other in public,” Angucia said, adding that residents also submitted photographs as evidence.
She further alleged that neighbours suspected “same-sex orgies” at the women’s one-room rented residence, claiming multiple women were seen spending nights there.
The case has been forwarded to the state prosecutor for guidance and possible court proceedings, according to police.
The arrests were made under Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act, which prescribes penalties of up to life imprisonment for consensual same-sex relations. The law also provides for the death penalty in cases classified as “aggravated homosexuality.”
The two women have reportedly been detained without legal representation since February 18.
Prominent human rights advocate Frank Mugisha condemned the arrests, warning that the law has intensified fear and vulnerability within Uganda’s LGBTQ+ community.
This underscores the grim reality we are facing on the ground under the Anti-Homosexuality Act,” Mugisha wrote on X. “We have seen a surge in a targeted crackdown… it has fueled a dangerous cycle of blackmail and extortion.
He alleged that criminals are exploiting the legislation to intimidate and extort individuals who are often too afraid to seek help from authorities.
Uganda’s anti-gay law has drawn widespread international condemnation since its passage. The World Bank previously suspended funding to the country in response to the legislation, though financial support resumed in mid-2025.
The latest arrests are likely to reignite debate over the law’s impact on human rights, civil liberties and Uganda’s global relations.
