Police on Saturday invaded and shut down an LGBT film festival in Kampala after allegedly being tipped off about its secret location.
The 3-day festival commenced Friday night, and had sold out first night, sources revealed.
The organizers purported that an organisation which is against the festival called police to come and shut it down.
“Within hours the police came in,” sources said, noting that they arrived with the intention of arresting the organizers – including festival founder, Kamoga Hassan – and attendees.
Human Rights Awareness and promotion Forum (HRAPF) deputy executive director, Joaninne Nanyange, told sources the organization had been working with police on raising awareness about the LGBTIQ community.
“That’s why we get shocked it’s still happening, we’ve tried to reach out to police and they’ve been very accepting but we don’t know what it is, we don’t know where that disconnect it is,” she said. “Maybe we need to engage them more.”
Nanyange claimed HRAPF would investigate how people found out about the event.
Homosexuality is illegal in Uganda, punishable by a jail sentence.
By Staff Writer.
