Mob “Justice”: Kampala Man Assaulted Over Suspicion He Is Gay, as Police Probe Stalls

A gentleman in one of Kampala’s suburbs is recovering after being allegedly assaulted by a group of community members and boda boda riders who accused him of being gay.

According to accounts from people close to the incident, the man who has been identified as Komakech Geoffrey Ronnie was cornered and beaten near a trading area on the outskirts of the city after community members claimed to have “caught” him engaging in homosexual conduct.

The matter was reported to police, who said they would open an investigation, and the local council was also notified. But rights monitors say such assurances frequently lead nowhere, particularly when the survivor’s presumed sexual orientation rather than the assault itself becomes the focus of scrutiny.

One LGBT rights activist told researchers that the situation is getting worse whereby threatening calls are occasional and callers increasingly saying things like “we know where you stay” and “we know what you do.” That climate of surveillance and threat is what critics say fuels incidents like the one reported this week where an accusation on a street corner escalates into a public beating within minutes.

The law imposes a duty to report anyone suspected of engaging in same sex acts, an obligation that applies to almost all Ugandans, including medical professionals, faith leaders, educators, and family members.

Police response under scrutiny

Survivors and advocates say that even when attacks are reported, follow through by police is inconsistent. There is substantial evidence of the law being enforced in recent years, with LGBT people frequently subject to arrest, mass detentions, and forced examinations raising concerns that police intervention in such cases can shift from protecting the victim to investigating the victim.

For the man at the centre of this case, simply being seen in public was enough to make him a target. Rights groups argue this reflects a broader pattern: safety for LGBTQ+ Ugandans is currently a matter of luck and location rather than legal protection.

Broader legal picture

Meanwhile, incidents like the one reported this week continue to surface in communities across the country a reminder, advocates say, that legal reform and public attitudes remain far apart.