Rafto Laureate 2011, SMUG shut down by Ugandan Government

On Wednesday, 3^rd August 2022, the National Bureau for Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO Bureau) the government body that regulates NGOs in Uganda, halted the operations of Sexual Minorities Uganda for non-registration with the NGO Bureau, SMUG writes in its press release.

In 2012, Frank Mugisha and others applied to the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB), for the reservation of the name of the proposed company. The URSB rejected the application to reserve the name ‘Sexual Minorities Uganda’ on the grounds that the name was “undesirable and un-registrable that the proposed company to be incorporated to advocate for the rights and wellbeing of Lesbians, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer persons, which persons are engaged in activities labeled criminal acts under sec.145 of the Penal Code Act.” A decision that was upheld by the High Court of Uganda.

"This is a clear witch-hunt rooted in systematic homophobia that is fueled by anti-gay and anti-gender movements that have infiltrated public offices aiming to influence legislation to erase the LGBTQ community", says Frank Mugisha, head of SMUG.

The Rafto Foundation stands in solidarity with the team at Sexual Minorities Uganda, who recieved the Rafto Prize in 2011.