Prostitution Prostitution laws in Uganda
Prostitution is prohibited in Uganda. Under the Penal Code Act, any person who practises or engages in prostitution is liable to seven years' imprisonment (s. 139); a prostitute is a person who regularly or habitually holds himself or herself out as available for sexual intercourse or other sexual gratification for monetary or other material gain (s. 138). Living on the earnings of prostitution and soliciting for immoral purposes in any place (s. 136), keeping a brothel (s. 137) and procuring a woman or girl into prostitution (s. 131) carry seven years each. No offence targets clients: the Sexual Offences Bill, which would have punished them, was passed in 2021 but refused assent, and its 2024 version was withdrawn in March 2026. Section numbers follow Cap. 120; the 2023 Revised Edition re-issued the Act as Cap. 128.
Legal model
Selling and buying prohibited. Selling sex is an offence (criminal or administrative), whether or not buying is.
Practising or engaging in prostitution is a specific offence under s. 139 of the Penal Code Act, punishable by seven years, alongside offences of living on the earnings of prostitution, soliciting, keeping a brothel and procuration. There is no offence aimed specifically at clients; bills that would have added one (2019, 2024) were not enacted.[1]
At a glance
| Question | Status | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Selling sexual services | Illegal Criminal offence | Any person who practises or engages in prostitution commits an offence punishable by seven years (s. 139). Soliciting or importuning for immoral purposes in any place also carries seven years (s. 136(1)), and a prostitute behaving in a disorderly or indecent manner in a public place, or anyone soliciting or loitering in public for immoral purposes, is an idle and disorderly person liable to three months or a fine (s. 167).[1] |
| Buying sexual services | Legal | The Penal Code Act has no offence aimed at clients. Soliciting or importuning for immoral purposes "in any place" (s. 136) applies to every person and can reach a client who solicits. The Sexual Offences Bill passed in May 2021, which kept prison terms for clients, was refused assent, and its 2024 re-introduction was withdrawn in March 2026.[1][2][3] |
| Brothels and managed venues | Illegal Criminal offence | Any person who keeps a house, room, set of rooms or place of any kind for purposes of prostitution commits an offence punishable by seven years (s. 137). Detaining a person in a brothel, including by withholding clothing or property, is a separate offence (s. 134).[1] |
| Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping) | Illegal Criminal offence | Knowingly living wholly or in part on the earnings of prostitution carries seven years; living with or habitually accompanying a sex worker, or controlling their movements, raises a rebuttable presumption (s. 136). Procuring or attempting to procure a woman or girl to become a common prostitute, or to leave home or Uganda to frequent a brothel, also carries seven years, with a corroboration requirement (s. 131).[1] |
| Advertising sexual services | Illegal Criminal offence | No offence specifically on advertising sexual services was found, but holding oneself out as available for sex for gain is part of the statutory definition of a prostitute (s. 138), so an advertisement by a person selling sex is evidence of the s. 139 offence, and soliciting "in any place" is itself an offence (s. 136). A third party publishing such ads for profit could fall under living on the earnings of prostitution, but no case law was found.[1] |
The law in detail
Selling sexual services
Any person who practises or engages in prostitution commits an offence punishable by seven years (s. 139). Soliciting or importuning for immoral purposes in any place also carries seven years (s. 136(1)), and a prostitute behaving in a disorderly or indecent manner in a public place, or anyone soliciting or loitering in public for immoral purposes, is an idle and disorderly person liable to three months or a fine (s. 167).[1]
Confidence: medium. Read in the Laws.Africa consolidation as at 2014-05-09 (Cap. 120). Uganda's 2023 Revised Edition of the laws, launched in 2024, re-issued the Act as Cap. 128, reportedly with renumbered sections (not verified); that edition could not be opened (ULII blocked automated access), so current numbering and any later amendments were not verified.
Checked 30 October 2026
Buying sexual services
The Penal Code Act has no offence aimed at clients. Soliciting or importuning for immoral purposes "in any place" (s. 136) applies to every person and can reach a client who solicits. The Sexual Offences Bill passed in May 2021, which kept prison terms for clients, was refused assent, and its 2024 re-introduction was withdrawn in March 2026.[1][2][3]
Confidence: medium. Whether clients are prosecuted as parties to the s. 139 offence of the person selling sex was not checked.
Checked 30 October 2026
Brothels and managed venues
Any person who keeps a house, room, set of rooms or place of any kind for purposes of prostitution commits an offence punishable by seven years (s. 137). Detaining a person in a brothel, including by withholding clothing or property, is a separate offence (s. 134).[1]
Confidence: medium. Cap. 120 numbering (2014 consolidation); see the note under selling.
Checked 30 October 2026
Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping)
Knowingly living wholly or in part on the earnings of prostitution carries seven years; living with or habitually accompanying a sex worker, or controlling their movements, raises a rebuttable presumption (s. 136). Procuring or attempting to procure a woman or girl to become a common prostitute, or to leave home or Uganda to frequent a brothel, also carries seven years, with a corroboration requirement (s. 131).[1]
Confidence: medium. Cap. 120 numbering (2014 consolidation); see the note under selling.
Checked 30 October 2026
Advertising sexual services
No offence specifically on advertising sexual services was found, but holding oneself out as available for sex for gain is part of the statutory definition of a prostitute (s. 138), so an advertisement by a person selling sex is evidence of the s. 139 offence, and soliciting "in any place" is itself an offence (s. 136). A third party publishing such ads for profit could fall under living on the earnings of prostitution, but no case law was found.[1]
Confidence: low. Inferred from the general provisions. The Anti-Pornography Act 2014 and the Computer Misuse Act as amended in 2022 were not reviewed.
Checked 30 October 2026
Key legislation
| Law | What it does here | In force |
|---|---|---|
| Penal Code Act (Cap. 120), legislation as at 2014-05-09 Penal Code Act (Cap. 120; Cap. 128 in the 2023 Revised Edition) ss. 131, 134, 136–139 · s. 167 | Prohibition of prostitution, living on earnings and soliciting, brothels, procuration and the idle-and-disorderly offence.[1] | 15 June 1950 |
Timeline
- 3 May 2021Parliament passes the Sexual Offences Bill, 2019, keeping prison terms for sex workers, clients and brothel keepers; President Museveni declined to assent on 3 August 2021.[2]
- 14 October 2024The Sexual Offences Bill, 2024 is re-tabled for first reading by Anna Adeke Ebaju.[4]
- 12 March 2026The Sexual Offences Bill, 2024 is withdrawn after the Speaker said the government considered its offences already covered by existing law.[3]
Sources
- Penal Code Act (Cap. 120), legislation as at 2014-05-09. Laws.Africa / ULII (PDF hosted by JurisAfrica). legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- Uganda: Reject Sexual Offenses Bill. Human Rights Watch, 6 May 2021. ngo · accessed 30 October 2026
- Uganda Parliament drops proposed sexual offenses bill. 76crimes / Erasing 76 Crimes, 8 May 2026. news · accessed 30 October 2026
- Bill to criminalise sexual offences re-tabled. Parliament of Uganda, 14 October 2024. parliament · accessed 30 October 2026