Ugandan High School teacher arrested over lesbianism
Police in Jinja, Uganda, have arrested a female teacher at PMM Girls School in Jinja City on allegations of promoting homosexuality.
Kiira regional police spokesperson James Mubi said the teacher is being questioned as part of their investigations.
He said the teacher was arrested after her alleged lesbian partner reported to the police, accusing her of neglecting her and engaging in recruiting school girls into their vice.
“Her alleged Lesbian partner, a 30-year-old, surrendered to police. We have the couple in our custody. The partner claims the teacher has been cheating on her and not providing her with basic needs,” he said in an interview at the weekend.
“But the suspect testified to police that she rented a house for her partner and set up for her timber business and she disputed allegations of not providing basic needs to her alleged lesbian partner,” Mr Mubi added.
He said according to her lesbian partner, the teacher has been behaving like a man, including even the dress code.
Mr Mubi said the two will be taken to court on charges of sexual harassment once the case file has been concluded.
This came a day after hundreds of parents stormed PMM Girls’ School in Jinja City on Friday, protesting against the alleged existence of the teacher promoting homosexuality and lesbianism.
The angry parents, who were blocked from entering the school, were demanding to take away their children after several social media reports accused the teacher of spoiling their daughters.
Ms Rose Kalembe, the chairperson of the old girls’ school association, said the teacher should be suspended from school because she is “tarnishing its image”.
“I was here in the 1990s and had never heard of lesbian issues in this school. The suspected teacher was also a student in this school, and as old girls, we have to do something,” she said.
It is alleged that parents had approached school administration about the issue but their alleged delayed handling of the matter prompted the parents’ action.
The school administration declined to comment on the matter, when contacted.
The Jinja City Education Officer, Mr Haruna Mulopa, said they have left the issue to police to handle.
“We can’t decide because we are not judges or lawyers. Since there are still allegations we can’t give any comments,” he said.
The move comes a week after Uganda’s Parliament announced it will debate a bill to criminalize same sex relationships and marriage.
In Kenya, President William Ruto has also ruled out the possibility of same sex marriages in the country, and hit out at learning institutions which he says are supporting the vice.
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