Uganda’s LGBT Terror: ‘We live in fear of snitches’

By Our Reporter.

Around the world, people have been forced to flee their home countries because of their sexual orientations and gender identities.

People who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual and other marginalized sexual and gender identities (LGBTQIA+) often face discrimination, persecution and threats.

Many countries including Uganda have ban same-sex relationships and others implement dangerous laws that put trans and gender nonconforming people’s lives at risk. To live authentically and safely, many LGBTQIA+ people must flee their homes.

In addition to the risks of physical violence, LGBTQIA+ people may face higher risks of mental health conditions, such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidal ideations and behavior, due to family rejection, isolation and trauma caused by experiencing homophobia and transphobia.

Nakigudde Joanita recounts on how his brother Henry Sebina a Uganda and a resident of Kazo discriminated, persecuted to the extent of fleeing his country to Germany.

A 35 years old, well situated businessman in Uganda, Henry Sebina started the homosexuality vice way back while still in high school at Winston Standard secondary school, Najjanankumbi. This is where he got affianced with Ogomba Issa when in senior three.

Their relationship was so secretive to be known by the administration and the fellow students until they joined Makerere University. Joanita says that around mid-2023, rumors started spreading that her brother is a homosexual, she then had to ask him, and Henry told her his sex orientation. She never believed it but later accepted since she is a human rights activist.

From then she started hiding him. The community were looking for evidence to implicating him until on August 20, 2023 on his partner’s birthday. August 20, is Ogomba Issa’s birthday. Henry had organized to celebrate his partner’s birthday which was in attendance with many other members from the LGBT community at his home.

Little did they know that the celebration was leaked to the community. No sooner had they started celebrations than the mob gathered outside in the compound. They started uttering words of hate, stoning the door and windows, forcing themselves to enter the house, saying “we are tired of spoiling our children, let’s kill them ourselves.”

Eventually the mob forcefully opened the door, entered, seriously beaten and undressed them. A good Samaritan alerted nearby police to their rescue. The police fought so hard to scatter the mob, handcuffed them and taken to Kawempe regional referral hospital for medication.

Their situation intensified and transferred to Mulago regional referral hospital for more medical attention but with much security guarding them for the three weeks they were there.

Joanita confirms that she was the one in plans of making sure Sebina escapes from hospital. She bribed some security officers and doctors who bared them way to escape but still with wounds on September 11, 2023. She did this because she feared the consequences of taking his brother to courts of law, since the President had just signed the Ant-Gay Bill into Law which leads to life imprisonment or death.

Sebina had nowhere to stay after the escape, as he was being trailed wherever he could be by the police and the community. He instead decided to start staying in trenches as he plans to exit the country for protection. It was only Joanita who knew where Sebina was, he could camouflage as a street child not to be easily identified by security operatives for seven days.

Henry contacted his business counterpart in Kasese district, who could supply him cereals so that he could hide there and leave the city, Kampala. The sister provided him with a bus ticket to travel to Kasese on September 18, 2023. He hid here for a full month.

Joanita is so thankful to African Wide Tours and Travel Service in partnership with Grigora Travel Agency Limited which offered sponsorship to Henry Sebina for a short visit business visa to Germany on February 1, 2024. He was to attend the ITB 2024 in Berlin which ran from 5th to 7th March 2024.

It was by chance that the company did not know about the crime Sebina had committed. That’s how Sebina managed to leave Uganda to Germany on March 4, 2024. It’s very absurd that members of the LGBTQIA+ community must often make the difficult choice between living in secrecy or fleeing their homes.

On their journeys to safety, LGBTQIA+ refugees can also face increased risks of sexual and physical assault, discrimination and limited access to essential resources, including safe spaces and aid that is appropriate for their gender identity.

UNHCR is taking vital steps to increase protection for forcibly displaced LGBTQIA+ people. Steps include providing them with information and resources geared toward their specific needs while remaining discreet to protect them from further discrimination. Confidentiality is an important part of protection for LGBTQIA+ refugees, and training UNHCR staff on how to handle cases without exposing refugees’ identities is essential.