Security forces in Uganda’s capital city, Kampala, are intensifying their search for a group of suspected gay activists and sympathizers, including Ssenyonga Micheal, a resident of Kawempe Division, who is wanted to face criminal charges under case file number SD/REF 14/02/2024 for the offence of associating with LGBT groups.
The manhunt follows Ssenyonga’s disappearance and his failure to report to Jinja Police Station, despite several summons issued to him.
It is alleged that Ssenyonga, a resident of Kawempe Division, was arrested on December 17, 2023, on charges of engaging in and promoting gay activities in Uganda. However, he denied being a member of the gay community, claiming that he is merely a friend to some individuals within the group.
Sources reveal that Ssenyonga and others still at large are linked to foreign gay organizations based in the United States of America and Europe, which allegedly support them in recruiting and indoctrinating Ugandan youth into homosexuality an act deemed illegal under Uganda’s Anti-Gay Act, signed by President Yoweri Museveni in 2014 and further reinforced in 2023.
The law criminalizes same-sex relationships and any activities that promote them, prescribing severe penalties ranging from life imprisonment to the death sentence.
The Anti-Gay Law has been widely supported by many Ugandan politicians, Members of Parliament, cultural, and religious leaders, who describe homosexuality as an imported immorality that threatens to destroy societal values and the nation’s cultural fabric.
However, the controversial law has placed the lives of many Ugandans identifying with the LGBT community in great danger. Hundreds have been arrested and imprisoned, while others have fled the country seeking refuge. Meanwhile, individuals like Ssenyonga remain in hiding, living in constant fear for their safety.
