Ugandan police admit ‘infiltrating’ US-funded HIV project accused of ‘training gays’

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Police in Uganda have admitted that they “infiltrated” a US-funded HIV project accused of attempting to “recruit” gay people.

The Makere University Walter Reed Project (MUWRP) was last Thursday raided by police, accused of “training youths in homosexuality.”

In a statement in the Daily Monitor today, Ugandan Police said the Walter Reed Project, which was last week raided, had been “infiltrated” by officers, who found that it was “recruiting” gay people.

“Police deployed crime intelligence officers to verify the claims, by infiltrating the project. Two officers undertook the assignment and were registered for training by the NGO and found out that the trainees were being shown videos of men engaging in homosexual activity,” said the police statement.

“The training targeted youth between the ages of 18 and 25. The trainees were shown videos of men engaging in homosexual activity, and… given literature describing safe sexual practice between males, as well as condoms and lubricants,” it continued.

The paper also quoted a US embassy spokesperson as saying the claims by the police statement were “fabrications.”

Following the raid, the US State Department announced that the administration was “deeply concerned” that a US-funded facility would be raided, saying funding would be suspended, but said it would ensure care remained for those who needed it.

This was one of the first official announcements of operations seeking to persecute gay people under a new law enacted earlier this year, harshening penalties for those convicted of homosexuality, including life imprisonment.

The legislation was celebrated on Monday by a public rally, attended by President Yoweri Museveni, whio accused Western gays of promoting homosexuality.

President Yoweri Museveni gave assent to a law further criminalising same-sex sexual activity in Uganda earlier this year. The law calls for repeat offenders to be sentenced to 14 years in prison and makes it a criminal offence not to report someone for being gay.

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