Police in Morogoro are investigating the mob justice incident against a gay activist, identified as Barnabas Henry.
Henry was attacked by angry locals that accused him for having sexual affairs with fellow male students at Sokoine University hostel on Friday 06th September.
Eye witnesses say that the agricultural student was caught red handed with his course mate identified Edson Hezron Reuben who managed to escape from the mob by a whisker.
According to authorities, ailing Barnabas is now being detained at Morogoro Central Police Station and awaits prosecution.
This arrest comes barely a week after the Health Ministry in mainland Tanzania prohibited community-based organizations from conducting outreach on HIV prevention to men who have sex with men and other key populations vulnerable to HIV.
Its on this regard that Barnabas’ young sister Esther Pendo revealed how authorities illegally denied her medical services and only thrown in prison under critical conditions but to a hospital facility for treatment.
Since 2016 the government of Tanzania under the leadership of President John Pompe Magufuli has been on the spot for cracking down on LGBT people and the community-based organizations that serve them.
This has forced the Human Rights Watch to sanction Tanzania to reverse the ban on the LGBT community.
“Tanzania should reverse these policies, end arbitrary arrests of LGBT people, and ban forced anal examinations that are used as spurious evidence of homosexual conduct. The government of Tanzania’s health policies deny adequate services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and others who are particularly vulnerable to HIV, jeopardizing public health.” Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.
