By Tausi Nakato

Four people are being detained at Njeru Police Station in Buikwe district following a raid on a massage parlor that is alleged to be offering gay and lesbian sex services.

Ms. Hellen Butoto, the Ssezibwa region police spokesperson, says all the suspects are employees of Cloud 9 Massage and Chill outs in Bukaya West Zone, Njeru municipality in Buikwe district.

Ms Butoto said the quartet was arrested following a tip-off to the area defense secretary by a worker at the massage parlor-turned informant, who was concerned by the alleged illegal activities at the facility.

“A female informant tipped the area defense secretary that suspected acts of homosexuality were being carried out, especially with Indian clients as their most-preferred clients,” Ms Butoto said.

“This sparked off a misunderstanding between the informant and her boss, who later ordered men to undress her, after which she was reportedly thrown outside the gate, naked,” she added.

According to Ms Butoto, the informant told authorities that her boss has an artificial phallus, which she has allegedly been using on female workers, and later posts recordings on Tiktok and other social media platforms.

The informant told police that she was trafficked from Mbarara to Buikwe district three months ago after being promised Shs500,000 to work in a massage, sauna, and salon, but she wasallegedly lured into lesbianism and prostitution.

The informant claims she has not received her salary for the past three months despite allegedly “serving” over five clients a day, according to Butoto.

Locals, however, want police to close the facility on grounds that it is in a residential area.

“Although they paid the license and all revenue, we ask police to shut the place because residents had first complained about the workers’ indecent dress code,’’ Ms Patricia Dorothy Chandiru, a councillor at Njeru Municipality said.

Mr Jimmy Okee, the Bukaya West Village chairperson, says when the place opened early this year, it was inspected and the proprietor convinced authorities that it was for massage, but he is surprised to hear about the illicit activities that have allegedly been taking place inside.

Mr Michael Odeba, the chairperson of Njeru Central Division, says the license which was issued to the place was to operate a massage and a bar.

Their arrest follows the signing of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill by President Museveni, which has since triggered a backlash from the Western allies, including the United States and the World Bank, which has since suspended new funding to Uganda in retaliation.