Two Queer Women Freed After Five Months in Uganda

Two young women arrested in Ugandaafollowing allegations that they kissed in public have been released after spending approximately five months in detention.

Wendy Faith and Alesi Diana Denise were arrested in February 2026 in Arua, a city in north-western Uganda. Their arrest followed reports from neighbours accusing them of same-sex activity.

Prosecutors withdrew the case in July. However, freedom has not ended the consequences of their detention. The women have described continuing harassment, family rejection, difficulties finding employment and fear that they may be targeted again.

Arrested under Uganda’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws

Uganda criminalises consensual same-sex relationships under both its Penal Code and the Anti-Homosexuality Act adopted in 2023.

The Anti-Homosexuality Act allows penalties of up to life imprisonment for consensual same-sex conduct. It also introduces the death penalty for the offence defined by the law as “aggravated homosexuality.”

Human Rights Watch reported in March that the two women were arrested after members of their community accused them of engaging in “queer and unusual acts.” Police reportedly detained and briefly released them before arresting them again.

The arrest received international attention from human rights organisations, which argued that the women were being targeted on the basis of their real or perceived sexual orientation.

Life after detention

According to reporting published following their release, Faith and Denise experienced physical abuse and harsh conditions while imprisoned.

The legal case may have ended, but their safety remains uncertain. Both women have reportedly faced threats and exclusion since leaving detention. Finding work and rebuilding family relationships have also become difficult.

This illustrates how criminalisation reaches far beyond a courtroom. Even when charges are withdrawn, an arrest can expose someone’s identity, destroy their livelihood and place them at risk of further violence.

The effects are particularly severe when families, landlords, employers and neighbours believe that the law gives them permission to discriminate.

A wider climate of fear

Ugandan LGBTQ+ organisations have documented increased violence, blackmail, extortion and arbitrary arrests since the Anti-Homosexuality Act entered into force.

Accusations alone can be dangerous. A person may be reported by a neighbour, former partner or someone attempting to extort money. Fear of arrest can also prevent LGBTQ+ people from seeking healthcare, reporting violence or contacting the police.

Queer women are often especially invisible in reporting about criminalisation. Laws may not always mention lesbian or bisexual women directly, but masculine-presenting women, women living together and those suspected of same-sex relationships can still be targeted.

Human rights advocates continue to call for Uganda to repeal the Anti-Homosexuality Act and the remaining Penal Code provisions criminalising consensual same-sex conduct.

Faith and Denise are no longer in prison. That does not mean they are free from the system that placed them there.