Sodomy charges against two Ugandans dropped

Illustrated rainbow pride flag on a white background.

A court in Uganda has dropped sodomy charges against two LGBT Ugandans arrested in January.

Kim Mukisa and Jackson Mukasa faced jail after being arrested in January after fleeing an angry mob.

They were held in Luziro prison in Kampala but later granted bail, and prosecutors previously said they thought they had enough evidence to charge them.

The Chief Magistrates Court at Buganda Road this week dropped the charges.

Prior to the arrest, Mukisa was beaten by authorities and local residents who found out he is gay.

Mr Mukisa, 24, a businessman, was charged with “having sexual knowledge of a person against the order of nature” and Mr Mukasa, 19, with permitting a person to have sexual knowledge of him against the order of nature.

The President of Uganda Yoweri Museveni gave assent to a law further criminalising same-sex sexual activity in February.

It punishes first-time offenders with 14 years in jail and allows life imprisonment as the penalty for acts of “aggravated homosexuality”.