Tororo District Woman MP, Sarah Opendi, has reiterated her appeal for the establishment of a publicly accessible National Sex Offenders Register as a crucial step toward tackling sexual violence in Uganda.
During a recent public forum, Opendi emphasized that such a registry would deter potential offenders of all genders and enhance public safety, transparency, and accountability.
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“We cannot continue living in a country where sexual offenders freely reoffend without consequences or public awareness,” she stated. “A national public registry would help safeguard children, families, and communities.”
She proposed that the register be made widely accessible and that convicted individuals have their National Identification Numbers (NINs) flagged to alert potential employers and institutions.
“If you appear in the register, your future is impacted,” Opendi said. “It will deter people from committing defilement when they know their identity will be publicly associated with it.”
Survivors Support the Move
Celestine Mugenyi, a 22-year-old survivor of an attempted sexual assault by her father while she was in senior four, welcomed the proposal. She stressed that public exposure of sex offenders could help prevent further abuse.
“If such people were listed publicly, others around them could take precautions to stay safe,” she said. “It’s not just about punishing them—it’s also about protecting others.”
Parliamentary Debate Ongoing
Opendi’s push comes as Parliament continues to review the Sexual Offences Bill, now under committee consideration. Among its key proposals is the creation of a National Sex Offenders Register.
According to Section 31 of the bill, the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) would be responsible for managing the register, which would include the offender’s name, NIN, date of birth, address, fingerprints, photograph, and nature of the offence. Registration would follow conviction, regardless of whether an appeal is pending. If a conviction is overturned, courts would be required to update NIRA within 10 days.
Currently, Uganda operates a private register of convicted sex offenders, but access is limited to crimes against children and persons with mental disabilities. This limited access has drawn criticism from activists, who argue it leaves communities vulnerable.
Growing Public Demand
In 2020, FemmePower Uganda initiated a petition urging the government and police to create a public register, arguing it would help prevent reoffending and empower communities to protect themselves.
Similarly, in 2015, the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) proposed a regional sex offender database to track and expose child sex offenders across the East African Community.
Despite these efforts, Uganda continues to battle high rates of sexual violence. According to the 2024 Uganda Police Annual Crime Report, there were 14,425 reported sex-related offenses—making up 6.6% of all crimes, a slight 2.8% decrease from the previous year.
A 2019 study found that around 13% of Ugandan women—over one million each year—face some form of sexual assault.
Global Perspective
Other countries, including the United States, already operate public sex offender registries. The U.S. National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW) allows citizens to look up convicted sex offenders and view details such as photos, offence records, and last known addresses, with the aim of bolstering community protection.
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