Faith Nyasuguta
Uganda is under sharp criticism from global human rights defenders for what has been described as state-driven discrimination and violence against LGBTQ+ citizens. A new report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) paints a grim picture of a country where anti-gay laws have unleashed a wave of brutal crackdowns, emboldening both police and civilians to target sexual minorities with impunity.
The report, titled “They’re Putting Our Lives at Risk: How Uganda’s Anti-LGBT Climate Unleashes Abuse,” says that since President Yoweri Museveni signed the Anti-Homosexuality Act into law in May 2023, LGBTQ+ Ugandans have been subjected to systemic abuse. The law, one of the harshest in the world, includes the death penalty for so-called “aggravated homosexuality.”
According to HRW, public figures have fuelled an environment of hate, promoting dangerous rhetoric that has led to unlawful arrests, arbitrary detentions, evictions, and even social media entrapment. “Uganda has legislated hate and turned it into policy,” said Oryem Nyeko, a senior HRW researcher.
Researchers interviewed 59 people- among them families, activists, parliamentarians, and journalists- between August 2022 and April 2025. The accounts describe a pattern of police extorting bribes from LGBTQ+ people in exchange for their freedom, often threatening to out them publicly if they refused to pay.
No response was received from the Ugandan authorities when HRW requested official comment.
The report accuses the state of fostering a culture where violence against LGBTQ+ people is not just tolerated but encouraged. “Uganda has created an environment of impunity for attacks,” the report notes, adding that this extends to sexual violence and other severe abuses.
Ugandan activist Clare Byarugaba, based in Kampala, said the findings come as no surprise. “The human cost of this draconian law is very high. This report confirms that Uganda’s state-sponsored homophobia and transphobia have real, life-altering consequences,” she said.
Byarugaba insists that LGBTQ+ Ugandans are not asking for special rights—just the ability to live without fear. “We want to be productive citizens without the threat of criminalisation and violence every single day. Our rights are not up for debate.”
The Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum (HRAPF) adds further weight to the concerns. Between March 2023 and May 2024, it documented 667 cases involving 850 LGBTQ+ individuals. These included reports of violence, forced evictions, and arrests.
Despite international outrage, Uganda’s constitutional court in April 2024 upheld the most extreme parts of the law, rejecting a petition to overturn it. This has drawn further condemnation from human rights groups who say the ruling emboldens further abuse.
“The bigotry entrenched by this law has no place in any society that claims to respect human rights,” said Nyeko. “Uganda should choose a future of dignity, equality, and freedom—for all its people.”
With Museveni’s grip on power showing no signs of loosening, campaigners warn that the fight for LGBTQ+ rights in Uganda is far from over. But as the calls for justice grow louder, one message remains clear: humanity must come before hate.
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