Ugandan LGBTQ rights activist stabbed in ‘hate crime’

Prominent LGBTQ rights activist Steven Kabuye was attacked and severely injured by unknown assailants in Uganda while heading to work on Wednesday morning, according to his organization.

Coloured Voice – Truth to LGBTQ, shared on the social platform X, reported that Kabuye is in critical condition, requesting everyone to keep him in their thoughts and prayers.

A distressing video on Kabuye’s account depicts him in pain, showing a knife in his stomach and an apparent wound on his arm.

Frank Mugisha, another rights activist, condemned the attack, emphasizing that “hate crimes have no place in Uganda” and urged the police to conduct a thorough investigation, as reported on X.

As of now, the police have not issued any statements regarding the incident.

Last year, Uganda passed one of the world’s strictest anti-homosexuality laws, sparking global outcry. The law resulted in the World Bank suspending new loans to Uganda, and the US imposing visa restrictions on key officials. Convictions for engaging in homosexual acts carry a potential life imprisonment sentence under this law.

Rights groups have contested the law in the Constitutional Court, arguing that it violates the right to equality and dignity. The government defends the law, asserting that it safeguards traditional family values.

Disturbingly, a report by rights groups documented over 300 human rights abuses against LGBTQ individuals in Uganda during the first eight months of the previous year, including beatings, torture, arrests, and evictions from homes.