KAMPALA, Uganda —A teacher at Kabojja Junior School has been remanded to Luzira Prison after being charged with attempted homosexuality involving an 11-year-old pupil, in a case that reignites critical questions about child protection, legal safeguards, and the human rights implications of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2023.
Godfrey Muwumuza, 43, appeared before Buganda Road Court on Friday, where he was formally charged following allegations that he sexually abused a pupil during a school trip on May 4 and 5.
The charge falls under the Act’s provision on attempted offences, which criminalizes conduct perceived as preparatory to same-sex acts.
According to court documents, Muwumuza is accused of forcing the child to touch his genitals and attempting further acts while on the school bus.
The pupil reportedly sent a distress message to his mother via WhatsApp, triggering a police report and arrest.
One passage in the charge sheet describes the alleged act: “…another pupil came and he let the victim go. He did the same while on the bus… kept on dragging the boy’s hand…”
Police files reportedly include a confession, though Muwumuza denied the charges in court. Chief Magistrate Ronald Kayizzi advised him to apply for bail and ordered his remand to Luzira Prison until May 19, pending further investigation.
Balancing Child Protection With Due Process
The case touches on two of Uganda’s most contested social issues: child sexual abuse and the criminalization of homosexuality.
While safeguarding children from abuse is paramount, human rights advocates have long warned that Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act, particularly its provisions for “attempted” offences, opens the door to misuse, wrongful accusations, and disproportionate punishment.
The law provides for the death penalty in cases of “aggravated homosexuality” involving minors, persons with disabilities, or circumstances involving coercion, intoxication, or repeated offences. Attempted offences carry a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.
However, concerns about due process are built into the law itself. Recognizing the potential for abuse, the Act includes a clause that criminalizes false accusations, making malicious or unfounded allegations punishable by up to one year in prison.
Legal scholars and rights groups have emphasized that charges involving same-sex conduct must be handled with exceptional care to ensure that neither victims’ rights nor defendants’ constitutional protections are undermined.
“We must protect children—yes—but also uphold rule of law, fairness, and the presumption of innocence,” said a Kampala-based human rights lawyer who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the case.
A Pattern of Abuse in Schools
Muwumuza’s case adds to an alarming pattern of teacher-perpetrated abuse in Uganda.
According to the Uganda Police’s 2024 Annual Crime Report, over 12,000 cases of child defilement were recorded in 2023, including 309 male victims. Teachers rank among the top offenders, following parents and guardians.
While most reported cases involve male teachers abusing female pupils, reports of male pupils being sexually targeted by teachers are increasing. A similar incident was reported in Lira District in April.
Public discourse has also turned sharply in recent years toward allegations of “sexual deviance” in schools.
Parliament has debated reports accusing some educators and students of promoting non-heteronormative behaviors, prompting calls for nationwide investigations into school environments.
Historical Echoes and Institutional Silence
The issue is not new. In her 2002 paper “Subterranean Evil and Tumultuous Riot in Buganda: Authority and Alienation at King’s College, Budo, 1942,” historian Carol Summers documented same-sex abuse in colonial-era elite schools.
She described coercive relationships between older and younger students and exchanges of sexual favors for privileges, revealing a longstanding challenge of power and silence in educational settings.
Kabojja Junior School has not released a public statement on the case. The Uganda Human Rights Commission and child protection advocates are closely monitoring developments.
As Muwumuza awaits the next hearing, the case stands at the intersection of two critical human rights imperatives: the protection of children from abuse and the protection of individuals—regardless of the accusation—from trial by public sentiment and potential misuse of broadly worded criminal laws.
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