In an incident echoing a recent tragedy in Nigeria, high school students in Uganda have violently attacked their peers over accusations of homosexuality.
Local media reported that the disturbing incident took place on Sunday morning at the prestigious all-boys Ntare Secondary School in Mbarara, in Uganda’s Western Region.
The riot erupted when four students were accused of engaging in same-sex intimacy, prompting a group of their fellow students to become violent. Two of the victims managed to escape, although one sustained injuries and required hospitalisation. The other two were rescued by staff members.
Tensions escalated further when the head prefect was accused by the mob of refusing to reveal the identities of other students they also claimed were involved in “homosexual behaviour.”
A History of Anti-Gay Hysteria at Ntare
The violence left a trail of destruction across the school, including broken windows. Police were called to the scene and were able to disperse the crowd before further harm was done.
This is not the first time Ntare School has been gripped by anti-gay hysteria. In 2015, the school was forced to shut down after two male pupils were allegedly discovered having sex. Fellow students attempted to lynch the boys, forcing police to use tear gas to calm the situation.
Uganda is notorious for having one of the world’s harshest legal environments for LGBTQ+ people. In May 2023, President Yoweri Museveni signed the Anti-Homosexuality Act into law.
The legislation imposes severe penalties, including life imprisonment for engaging in same-sex relationships, the death penalty for so-called “aggravated homosexuality,” and up to 20 years in prison for “promoting” or advocating for LGBTQ+ rights.
Similar School Violence in Nigeria
Last month, a group of high school students in Nigeria – where homosexuality is also criminalised – allegedly murdered two of their classmates after accusing them of engaging in same-sex intimacy.
According to reports, the students assaulted four of their schoolmates over “suspicions of homosexual activity”, beating them with metal objects known locally as “Gwale-Gwale” as punishment. Two of the victims died from their injuries.
