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UK abandons Ugandan gays, plans to deport them
An undated photo of Kasagga in the back with his partner
A number of Ugandans have left the country for Europe, America in search of greener pastures, while others have left for personal safety. Among those that have left the country are gays and homosexuals who claim they are escaping hostility from society and sometimes law enforcement officers.
It turns out however that the countries they thought would provide them refuge, are turning their backs on them. One such Ugandan who has lived in the United Kingdom as a homosexual says that the UK Police is trying to force him back to Uganda.
Sulaiman Kasagga, was slapped with charges of illegal stay in the UK, despite pleading with authorities for asylum on grounds that he would face persecution if returned home, local gay activists have revealed to The Sunrise.
According to Hamza Mawanda, a gay rights activist, Kasagga is a prominent member of the Ugandan gay diaspora living in the UK.
Mawanda has expressed grave concern that if forced to return to Uganda, his mentor will face the wrath of Ugandan authorities because of his well documented ties with the gay community.
“He is one of our key supporters and has been giving us crucial moral and psychological support to our groups here in Uganda. Because of his profile, we are really concerned that when he comes back, he will be targeted by the police and other anti-LGBT groups,” said Mawanda.
The Sunrise has established from Mawanda that Kasagga is a member of the Sexual Minorities in Uganda (SMUG) a network that was founded by Victor Mukasa and Makerere Law don Professor Sylvia Tamale and currently being led by Frank Mugisha.
Homosexuality is illegal under the penal code act of Uganda. Attempts by David Bahati, now Minister for Planning to erase the provisions of the Penal Code Act by introducing the Anti-Homosexuality Bill fell through when the constitutional court stopped the government from enforcing it.
In 2018, President Yoweri Museveni signed the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, but the highly popular legislation was successfully challenged by gay proponents in the Constitutional Court of Uganda.
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