UGANDA — Human Rights Watch (HRW) has released a report accusing Ugandan authorities of engaging in systemic harassment and abuse of LGBTQ individuals and organizations since the enactment of the Anti-Homosexuality Act in 2023.
The report, published May 26, 2025, is based on interviews conducted from August 2022 through April 2025. It documents cases of arbitrary arrests, unlawful detentions, online entrapment, and the forced shutdown of organizations offering health and legal services to the LGBTQ community.
A Law with Lasting Consequences
Passed in 2023, Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act imposes severe penalties for same-sex conduct. In 2024, the country’s Constitutional Court upheld most provisions of the law but struck down sections that restricted access to healthcare and criminalized renting to LGBTQ individuals.
Since its enactment, HRW reports a surge in anti-LGBTQ rhetoric from government officials and public figures, which it says has fueled increased violence and discrimination. The report also highlights cases of police extorting LGBTQ individuals and using social media to entrap them.
Government Silence and International Criticism
HRW stated it reached out to several Ugandan officials, including the director of public prosecutions and the inspector general of police, to share its findings and request comment. As of publication, the organization said it had received no official response.
The law and subsequent reports of abuse have sparked international criticism. Human rights groups and foreign governments have warned of the law’s implications for Uganda’s public health infrastructure and international standing on human rights.
Ongoing Concern for Human Rights
HRW has called on Ugandan authorities to immediately halt discriminatory practices and to ensure accountability for documented abuses. The report adds to mounting global pressure on Uganda to reconsider its approach to LGBTQ rights.
According to GhanaWeb, the findings reinforce long-standing fears among activists that the law has emboldened both state and non-state actors to target a vulnerable community with impunity.
