Buikwe massage parlor owner charged with homosexuality

The owner of Cloud 9 Massage and Chill Outs in Bukaya West, Njeru Municipality, Buikwe District, has been charged with three counts of homosexuality and one count of trafficking in persons.

Patricia Nantume alias Malaika, 26, appeared before Njeru Grade One Magistrate Egessa Masaaka who said her case is only triable by the High Court, before remanding her to Bugungu Prisons until September 6 when she will reappear before the same court.

The charges are contrary to Section 2(1) (2) of Anti-Homosexuality Act (2023).

Prosecution led by Senior State Prosecutor Amos Mpaka alleges that Nantume and another, still at large, between April and August 2023, performed a sexual act with a person of the same sex at the aforementioned premises.

According to documents tendered before court, Nantume, between the same period, allowed her rented house at Cloud-9 Massage and Chill Outs to be used for the purposes of homosexuality.

It is further alleged, through court documents that Nantume, also between the same period, transported and maintained a person identified as Nahabwe- for purposes of sexual exploitation.

Subsequently, charges of promotion of homosexuality, contrary to section 11(1) (2) (a) of the Anti-Homosexuality Act (2023), and trafficking in persons, contrary to Section 3(1) (a) of the Trafficking in Persons Act (2009), were slapped against her on Wednesday.

Mpaka, however, asked court to give prosecution more time before the defendant is committed to the High Court, saying investigations are incomplete.

The defence, led by Alice Nambalilwa from Legal Aid Clinic of Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum, asked prosecution to expedite investigations.

Background

Four people, including Nantume, were last week arrested following a raid on her massage parlor that was alleged to be offering same-sex related services.

However, a reliable source familiar with the investigations said three suspects were on Monday released on grounds that some were victims, while others will be used as state witnesses.

Their arrest followed a tip-off to the area defense secretary by a worker at the massage parlor, who was concerned by the alleged illegal activities at the facility, according to Ssezibwa Region Police Spokesperson Hellen Butoto.

“A Police raid on the massage parlor uncovered a dildo, two packets of shisha flavor, bottles of oils used for either massage or as a lubricant for anal sex, two video cameras and a tripod (camera stand),” Butoto told Monitor on Monday.

Uganda has one of the world’s toughest anti-LGBTQ laws, which attracts maximum penalties for aggravated homosexuality among other transgressions.