Deputy Headteacher of PMM Girls School, Lydia Mukoda, and her partner, Martha Naigaga, have been brought to court on charges of gross indecency and procurement of gross indecency.
They appeared before Jinja Grade One Magistrate, Yafesi Ochieng, on Tuesday and were remanded to Kirinya prisons until March 14th, 2023, as neither the state prosecutors nor the defense lawyers were present in court.
The charges against them relate to allegations of lesbianism, with Mukoda accused of engaging in sexual activities with Naigaga and others, which is contrary to section 148 of the penal code act. The offense carries a maximum penalty of seven years imprisonment.
Mukoda was arrested following protests by parents and former students of PMM Girls School, who accused her of recruiting students into lesbianism. Naigaga, a timber dealer in Walukuba, was also taken into custody after claiming that Mukoda had abandoned her for younger school girls.
Naigaga stated that she and Mukoda had been in a same-sex relationship for five years and had been leading a quiet life until last year when she heard reports of Mukoda’s alleged involvement in lesbian activities with school girls.
Police subsequently visited three lodges in Buwenge town council, Jinja district, where Mukoda was said to be engaging in such activities with school girls and women from various backgrounds. Prior to the police raid, the lodge owners had known Mukoda as “Mr. Elly Ogwang,” a prominent male client, and were surprised to see her dressed in a skirt for the first time.
Naigaga’s reports of Mukoda’s alleged involvement in lesbian activities with school girls prompted a team of detectives to investigate the matter. The detectives subsequently visited three lodges in Buwenge town council, Jinja district, where Mukoda was said to be engaging in such activities with school girls and women from various backgrounds.
