UGANDA ACTIVIST FINALLY GETS BAIL

After two weeks in jail, leading Ugandan LGBT activist Samuel K Ganafa has finally been granted bail.

Facing homosexuality charges, he was released on Monday by the Nabweru Magistrate’s Court, reported Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG).

Ganafa, who works for a telecommunications company and also heads up two LGBT rights groups, was arrested on November 12, along with three of his house guests.

The arrests were triggered by a man who claims to have been infected with HIV by Ganafa.

The three other men were arrested when police searched his home. Ganafa was also reportedly illegally forced to undergo an HIV test by the authorities.

All the men have been charged with committing “unnatural offences,” which could see them jailed for life if found guilty. The houseguests were released on bail last week.

Ganafa was humiliatingly paraded in front of the media at a police press conference and his arrest has been splashed across the pages of local tabloids. The media scandal and upcoming trial could see Ganafa’s life destroyed, even if he is ultimately not found guilty.

He is set to appear in court again on 17 December.

Two other men, Bernard Randall, a British retiree living in Uganda, and his Ugandan house guest, Albert Cheptoyek, are also facing homosexuality charges.

Randall has further been charged with “trafficking obscene publications” after a private sex video on his laptop, which was stolen from his home, was exposed by the Red Pepper tabloid.