Members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered and Queer (LGBTQ) community in Rwanda have expressed concern over their safety due to increasing cases of violence against them.

While this week neighboring Uganda passed a law that make it illegal for one to identify as gay, lesbian, or transgender Rwandan laws are silent on homosexuality with members of the community opting to quietly.

However, there is concern that the ongoing debate on social media networks across the region is beginning to fuel homophobia in a country that has largely been safe for the LG-
BTQ community.

Rwanda Investigations Bureau (RIB) says it has not received any cases of violence related to sexual orientation, but members of the community told Rwanda Today that there are increasingly concerned about their safety.

“We receive all cases of harassment regardless of victim's sexual orientation because it is punishable under Rwandan law,”

“We haven't received any case of harassment of any person due to their sexual orientation ...” Thierry Murangira, RIB spokesperson told Rwanda Today without giving more details.

Yet according to Pierre Celestin Ndikumana, 40, a gay, who lives in Nyamirambo, told Rwanda Today that he was recently attacked and when he approached law enforcement agencies he felt his case had been mishandled.

Ndikumana alleged that he was recently attached during his morning jog when two men who he knew as members of the local security detail known as abanyerondo stopped him, and suddenly started punching him in the stomach and chest.

He says his attackers have known him for many years as a member of that community, which they also belong to.

“They stopped me as I had started my run not far from my house and started punching me in the stomach and chest, I hold a black belt in karate, but I restrained myself from fighting back because they wanted to use that to cause me more damage,” said Ndikumana.

He reported to the village security office so his matter can be taken to Rwanda Investigations Bureau (RIB), but it was not handled with the urgency he says it deserved, asking him to write a report of his attack and take it himself to the Rwezamenyo RIB station-which he has done.

At the RIB station of Rwezamenyo in Nyamirambo, his case was just recorded in a book and was not even given a case number.

He said it is not the first time he has been attacked, the first time was on his birthday as he celebrated it in a bar not far from his home.

“Two times people have also forced their way into my home and ransacked it, they do this as they mock me and insult me in homophobic terms with impunity”

“I have reported these cases but I have never received any justice, it all ends there...” Ndikumana says he is not the only open LGBTQ member to suffer homophobic attacks, and that others in different parts of the country face these threats.

He shares a story of a Rwandan gay orthopedic surgeon who left France to come and practice in Rwanda and is now trying to sell his house to flee the unpleasant homophobic treatment he is getting.

A transgender man who preferred to remain anonymous, said he has been physically attacked several times, saying because of this he doesn’t leave his house unless it is very essential and unavoidable.

“I have been beaten several times, some are verbal attacks, there’s a time three men waylaid me on the way at night and undressed me because they wanted to see how my private parts look like” In 2010 Rwanda, removed a provision that criminalised homosexuality from its laws and has made some gains in regard to protecting the rights of these gender and sexual minority groups.