Two women have been arrested in northwestern Uganda for kissing in public, police confirmed to AFP on Tuesday.

The arrest, under Uganda’s 2023 Anti-Homosexuality Act, has sparked outrage among human rights groups.

The law imposes penalties of up to life imprisonment for consensual same-sex relations, while “aggravated homosexuality” is punishable by death.

Neighbors reported the women, providing photos as evidence, after suspecting “same-sex orgies” at their residence.

The women, both in their 20s, have been detained without legal representation since February 18.

“Neighbours contacted police complaining the two were practicing homosexuality and were seen kissing each other in public,” local police spokesperson Josephine Angucia told AFP, adding that the neighbours also took photos as evidence.

“They had seen many women going onto their one-roomed rented residence and spending nights there in what they suspected was same-sex orgies,” Angucia added.

Angucia said the case had been forwarded to the state prosecutor for “guidance and possible appearance in court”.

Human rights advocate Frank Mugisha condemned the arrest, saying the law fuels blackmail and extortion against the LGBTQ+ community.

“This underscores the grim reality we are facing on the ground under the Anti-Homosexuality Act. We have seen a surge in a targeted crackdown that goes beyond just arrests; it has fueled a dangerous cycle of blackmail and extortion. Even criminals are now using this law as a weapon to prey on the LGBTQ+ community, knowing their victims are too terrified to seek protection”, he wrote on X.

The international community has condemned Uganda’s anti-gay law, with the World Bank suspending funding, although it resumed in mid-2025.