Uganda: Relief as LGBTQ+ Activists’ Arrest Ordeal Finally Ends

Two LGBTQ+ activists in Uganda have been acquitted after a gruelling years-long legal battle following their wrongful arrest when reporting a hate attack.

On 19 May 2022, the activists and employees of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) — identified only as DSB and HN — went to the Ntinda Police Station in Kampala to report an assault and the destruction of property at the organisation’s offices.

Instead of receiving assistance, police arrested them on assault charges filed by the alleged perpetrator, Elisha Mukisa.

At the time, Mukisa was an outspoken supporter of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act and was paraded in the media and Parliament by anti-LGBTQ+ groups as an “ex-gay” and “former victim” of homosexuality.

A Legal Battle Marked by Delays

SMUG alleged that the two activists were coerced into making statements while in police custody. What followed was a prolonged legal struggle, with more than 30 court appearances over almost three years.

“This case dragged on with baseless prosecution, multiple adjournments, and no real trial,” said Douglas Mawadri, an advocate involved in the case. “Police must end arrests based on suspicion and hearsay. I hope those vindicated find healing from this ordeal.”

On 20 March 2025, Magistrate Frank Namanya ruled that there were no grounds for prosecution, finally bringing the case to an end.

A Victory Amid Injustice

DSB, one of the acquitted activists, expressed relief at the outcome.

“I’m so relieved and grateful to God Almighty that the truth has finally come to light,” they said in a statement. “This acquittal is a testament and a reminder that justice can prevail, even in the face of adversity.”

Dr Frank Mugisha, former Executive Director of SMUG, welcomed the verdict, saying, “This case is a clear example of how Uganda’s hostile legal and political environment is weaponised against LGBTQ+ individuals. The fingerprints of anti-rights and anti-LGBTQ+ groups are all over this injustice, where victims seeking protection are instead criminalised.”

SMUG emphasised that the case highlighted the dangers of advocating for LGBTQ+ rights in Uganda, citing ongoing misinformation campaigns, fabricated charges, arbitrary arrests, and legal harassment as tactics used to silence the community.

“Let this victory be a symbol of our resistance, resilience, and hope,” added Mugisha.

SMUG’s Continued Struggles

SMUG remains unable to operate in Uganda after the National Bureau for Non-Governmental Organisations shut it down in August 2022 for “operating illegally.” The closure followed the Uganda Registration Services Bureau’s refusal to register the organisation because it advocates for the rights of people deemed under the law to be engaging in “criminal acts.”

Mukisa, who laid the charges against the activists, was himself arrested in 2023 along with another man on charges of engaging in homosexuality between December 2022 and July 2023.

Signed into law by President Yoweri Museveni in May 2023, the Anti-Homosexuality Act has drawn global condemnation. The legislation imposes severe penalties, including life imprisonment for engaging in homosexual acts, the death penalty for “aggravated” homosexuality, and a 20-year prison sentence for advocating LGBTQ+ rights.