The Development Network of Indigenous Voluntary Associations (DENIVA) has called on the government to criminalize sextortion and the non-consensual recording and distribution of sexual content, arguing that such acts violate human dignity and fuel sexual exploitation.

Speaking before a joint session of the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee and the Gender, Labour, and Social Development Committee, DENIVA Executive Director Peter Magelah urged Parliament to include strict penalties in the Sexual Offences Bill, 2024 to curb the growing vice.

“Parliament should make a law to make sextortion illegal. Any person involved in it commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding 500 currency points or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding five years or both,” Magelah proposed.

Sextortion, the act of coercing individuals into sexual activities in exchange for favors, money, or to avoid exposure of private content, has been on the rise in Uganda, particularly with the increase in digital platforms.

Call for Action Against Non-Consensual Recording and Sharing of Nudity

DENIVA also raised concerns over the widespread practice of filming and sharing explicit images or videos of individuals without their consent. Magelah cited incidents where women, especially performers, have had their underwear recorded during artistic performances and posted online.

“This has become common, especially during concerts where people record and publish intimate content of female performers without their consent. It is degrading and should be criminalized,” he said.

However, Bugiri Municipality MP, Hon. Asuman Basalirwa, questioned whether criminalizing such acts would be fair in all circumstances. He pointed out that some artists deliberately choose revealing attire and promote nudity in their performances.

“One time I was watching an interview by Sheebah Karungi, a local artist, who was asked how the public should expect her to dress for a certain concert. She replied, ‘I will definitely be naked.’ I am, therefore, uncomfortable with your proposal,” Basalirwa remarked.

His sentiments were echoed by Erute South MP, Hon. Jonathan Odur, who argued that criminalizing the act of simply viewing a person who has voluntarily exposed themselves in public is unreasonable.

“Why do you want to criminalize viewing? Why are you stretching the criminal net so wide?” Odur asked.

The Sexual Offences Bill, 2024, introduced by Soroti District Woman Representative, Hon. Anna Adeke, seeks to consolidate various sexual offences scattered across different laws. It aims to respond to emerging sexual crimes, enhance punishment for offenders, and adopt international best practices in preventing sexual violence.

“There is a need to ensure the legislation responds to the evolving and current trends in sexual offences, curbs sexual violence, and adopts international best practices in prevention,” the bill states.

The proposed law also includes provisions requiring the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to approve the prosecution of incest cases, citing the need for careful consideration of family and psychological implications before proceeding with trials.

As debate over the bill intensifies, stakeholders remain divided on how best to strike a balance between personal freedoms, public morality, and the need to protect individuals from sexual exploitation.