Uganda's Constitutional Court upheld the Anti-Homosexuality Act, including the death penalty for 'aggravated homosexuality'; the first case under it was dropped in 2026 after the defendant was found of unsound mind following long remand
Subject of this story
What happened
On April 3, 2024, Uganda's Constitutional Court declined to nullify the Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2023, upholding up to life imprisonment for consensual same-sex conduct and the death penalty for 'aggravated homosexuality', while striking down provisions restricting healthcare access, criminalizing renting premises, and the duty to report. The first prosecution began in August 2023 when a then-20-year-old man from Soroti was charged; he was initially charged with aggravated homosexuality, and in January 2024 prosecutors amended the charge to 'carnal knowledge against the order of nature', which carries life imprisonment. Reports say he spent almost a year in custody before bail. In early February 2026 a magistrate discontinued the case, finding the accused was of unsound mind after long detention on remand; his defense said he developed psychosis and schizophrenia in detention.
By the numbers (1)
● confirmed by a primary document · ○ reported
Figures
1 source
- Human Rights Watch
Uganda's Constitutional Court on April 3, 2024, upheld
Sources (6)
Response
Not yet contacted for this story.
Not yet contacted for this story.
What happened next (0)
No outcome recorded yet.