Blog Details

Two women arrested in Arua City for allegedly showing affection in public have been released on police bond, human rights defenders confirmed today. Their case has reignited concerns about a deepening pattern of community vigilantism and state enforcement of Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023.

The women were detained on 18 February after neighbours in Ayivu West Division reported them for "queer and unusual acts". Police spokesperson Josephine Angucia told media outlets that officers searched the women's residence but recovered "nothing."

Despite the absence of physical evidence, they were held at Ayivu West Division on suspicion of conduct in violation of Section 2(1)(2) of the Act, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

Community vigilantism and police complicity.

Interviews with frontline human rights defenders reveal a disturbing picture of organised community surveillance preceding the arrest.John Grace, coordinator of the Uganda Minority Shelters Consortium, described how the community had been actively monitoring the women's residence.

"In some instances where privacy is overruled, some will go as far as entering people's bedrooms trying to get those suspected in the act. It only just happened that the local newspaper was able to capture this particular story. Otherwise, there are very many unwritten stories like that that normally die away. In some instances, people even actually end up getting killed and we just don't get notified."

Edward Mwebaza, Executive Director of the Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum (HRAPF), confirmed that the situation was escalated by Arua's Assistant Resident District Commissioner, Job Richard Matua.

When the arrest was reported in local media, Matua publicly celebrated it, claiming that local leaders were 'preparing them for rehabilitation and spiritual intercession as well as courts of law'. He amplified anti-LGBTIQ sentiment in an online exchange with a Pentecostal pastor. Mwebaza said this is not an isolated incident. A 2024 attack on HRAPF paralegals forced the organisation to evacuate staff.

Community organising through local council structures has repeatedly targeted LGBTIQ persons. Arua, in Uganda's West Nile region, is known for its deeply conservative social and religious environment, where traditional moral norms are actively upheld by both Christian and Muslim communities.

Pattern of persecution: no evidence, yet charges filed

Human rights defenders have documented a recurring pattern: arrests based on suspicion or community pressure, without corroborating evidence.        Mwebaza was direct in his assessment:

"In Uganda, people just charge. As long as they suspect, they charge. There's no need for evidence."

He noted that most cases his organisation handles are eventually dismissed "for want of prosecution".

Grace described the emboldening effect of the 2023 Act on both community actors and police:

"The persecution is basically the non-legal, non-state actors taking justice into their hands. 

He added that in some cases, communities have attempted to storm police stations or harm detainees.The two women, both in their early twenties, now face social ostracism, family rejection, and potential displacement.

"They can no longer stay in their residence. Their friends and family are going to be distant from them."

John Grace, Uganda Minority Shelters Consortium

The arrests triggered significant public criticism on social media, with many Ugandans questioning police priorities at a time when violent crime — including machete attacks and robberies — has increased across Arua and other parts of the country. Many online commentators questioned why law enforcement resources were directed at two consenting adults rather than at documented public safety threats.

Broader context and calls for reform

The arrests come as the Anti-Homosexuality Act remains in force pending a Supreme Court appeal, following a Constitutional Court ruling that struck down some provisions but upheld the core criminalisation. Mwebaza expressed concern over recent court judgments that he said reflect a "moralistic approach" rather than constitutional analysis. "The law is still a very serious stumbling block for even conversations. Once you start talking about violations, then people throw the law at you."

Grace called for structural change beyond legal reform:"The law needs to go. Part of the way forward include removal of the law. Then the long-term solutions include cultural revisions, religious reform and creating awareness."

Human rights organisations continue to monitor the safety of the two women and are providing referrals for psychosocial support.

HRAPF Legal Aid Clinic     Uganda Minority Shelters.  ·