The safety concerns for many same-sex partners in Uganda are in the red line following the recent passing of the anti-homo-sexuality bill into law by the Parliament of Uganda.
Several cases in the country are well documented as many have been discriminated, subjected to severe punishments and others have lost their lives.
Lucky ones have managed to escape scratched and unscratched to the diaspora as they continue to live a life cherished by all.
A one Charles Walugembe is on the run and is on the Uganda Police’s most-wanted list is still vivid in the minds of many.
Walugembe is believed to have escaped to the United States of America (USA) after two of his friends Siraje Walugembe and Ham Ndawula were arrested by the police during the homo-sexual act at Mpologoma Nkadde Hotel & Lodging – Mutungo, a Kampala city suburb in August 2017.
Walugembe (Charles) is said to have been the one in charge of distributing rooms at the same Mpologma Nkadde Hotel and Lodging.
To date, Walugembe fled the country after prosecution over human rights violation in relation to divergent sexuality.
His bold escape was abetted by the continued mistreatment of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender persons in Uganda.
Over the years, Uganda has gained reputation as one of the most unsafe countries for LGBTIQ persons and homosexuality.
Such acts have been long severely penalized in Uganda on account of colonial era laws.
The Uganda penal code Act Cap 120 under section 145, for instance, provides for unnatural offenses against the order of nature and the particular section targets LGBTIQ persons and does not provide for consensual sexual relationships between consenting adults together with the sexual offences law passed by Parliament.
These have been used by the Ugandan authorities to stigmatize and discriminate LGBTI persons.
LGBT persons in Uganda are on a daily basis subjected to insults, violent attacks, emotional abuse and evictions by society, family, friends, neighbors and sometimes employers since the living context is characterized by acute stigma and discrimination towards LGBT persons based on their sexual orientation and sometimes death.
A couple of months ago, there was a young LGBT member brutally killed in Uganda in cold blood under unclear circumstances.
