Uganda Drops Charges Against Two Women Arrested for a Same-Sex Kiss

Ugandan authorities have officially dropped the criminal case against two women, 22-year-old Wendy Faith and 21-year-old Alesi Diana Denise, who were arrested earlier this year for kissing in public. This was announced by Ugandan human rights activist Frank Mugisha.

The young women were detained on February 18, 2026, in the northern city of Arua after neighbors complained to the police. They were accused of “practicing homosexuality” and committing “indecent acts.” According to MambaOnline , the case was discontinued by the decision of Uganda’s Director of Public Prosecutions. The LGBTQ+ human rights organization SMUG International called the decision an “important victory.”

If convicted under the 2023 Anti-Homosexuality Act, the women faced life imprisonment. This law is considered one of the strictest in the world: it stipulates life imprisonment for same-sex relations and the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality,” while also criminalizing the “promotion of homosexuality.” A legal challenge seeking to overturn this law is currently pending before the Supreme Court of Uganda.