LGBTQ rights activist in fear after his offices are broken into

Offices of Buhungiro Foundation, an organisation that among others advocates for LGBTQ rights, in two different parts of the country, were  broken into under unclear circumstances on the same day.

According to Nicholas Akampikaho, the director of the foundation, the offices located in Kisaasi, a Kampala suburb and in Fort Portal were vandalised on June 6 but his efforts to get police help have fallen on deaf ears.

"They took away all the computers, laptops and some vital documents," a visibly shaken Akampikaho said.

Akampikaho was out of the country in Canada when the incident happened.

“Hardly had I settled in Canada, than I received the unfortunate incident,” he said.

He suspects that the people who broke into his offices could be linked to state security apparatus.

He told us that he had been warned about his vocal support for LGBTQ rights.

LGBTQ is an acronym for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer.

The break-in at Buhungiro Foundation follows a pattern of similar incidents that have befallen a number of non-governmental organisations

Recently, a total of 149 Non-governmental organisations demanded an explanation from the government over the continued office break-in on their premises.

Under their umbrella National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders (NCHRDU), the NGOs disclosed that at least 34 office break-ins were reported since 2011, but no report from the police investigations has been presented.

Some of the NGOs that have been affected include Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum, whose offices were broken into and the guard Emmanuel Alituha killed in 2014.

Others include: the Foundation for Human Rights Initiative, Anti-Corruption Coalition-Uganda, Action for Community Development, Human Rights Network, Sexual Minorities-Uganda, and Human Rights Network for Journalists. Also affected is Eco-Pad and Kadama Widows Association located in Ntinda, which were also broken into recently.