When sex becomes the price of public service in Uganda

What the report says

The Independent Uganda, citing URN, reports that women and girls in Uganda are increasingly facing demands for sexual favours when seeking public services, education, jobs and health care. The article describes this as sextortion: abuse of authority in which sex is treated as a hidden form of payment rather than money. It says the problem is especially difficult to measure because victims rarely report it and official corruption records tend to focus on financial bribery.

The report points to a 2025 Inspectorate of Government study on local government recruitment, which found evidence of non-monetary bribes and included one woman’s account of being asked for both money and sex in exchange for a job. It also highlights sexual exploitation in schools, where students may face pressure for better grades, and in health facilities, where women seeking care can be vulnerable to abuse by staff with power over access to services. The article says researchers from the U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Center and the Embassy of Denmark examined selected health facilities and secondary schools in Arua and Iganga districts.

Officials and advocates quoted in the piece say the practice persists because it is hidden, underreported and hard to prove. Evelyn Zake, Justice Aisha Naluzze Batala, Lilian Byarugaba Adriko and others argue that Uganda needs safer reporting channels, stronger sanctions and better remedies for victims. The article says some experts also point to measures already used in countries such as Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa as possible models for Uganda.