Arson destroys offices of Ugandan trans organization
7 computers reportedly stolen by arsonist burglars
Arsonists attacked the offices of Uganda’s TranzNetwork advocacy group on Sept. 10.
TranzNetwork Uganda is a network of organisations that work with transgender and gender non-conforming persons in Uganda.
The human rights group Chapter Four Uganda declared on X (Twitter):
“We’re deeply concerned about the burglary, theft & arson attack at the offices of @TranzNetwork, a network organisation that works with transgender & gender non-conforming persons in #Uganda. 7 computers & other items were reportedly stolen, property worth millions destroyed.
The value of the destroyed and stolen items was about U.S. $27,000, according to the TranzNetwork.
The network expressed its appreciation to neighbors for their support and to the Uganda Police Force and the Fire Brigade for their quick response to the incident.
” ‘We now believe that the fire in our offices was the deliberate work of unknown persons,’ [the executive director of] @TranzNetwork notes.
“We call on police authorities at Kikaaya Police Station to act on SD Ref 02/10/09/2023 to bring assailants of the Sep. 10, 2023 attack to account.”
Williams Apako, the executive director of Trans Network Uganda, issued this public statement about the incident:
STATEMENT ON THE INCIDENT OF ARSON AND BURGLARY AT THE OFFICES OF TRANZ NETWORK UGANDA
Kampala, September 15, 2023
On the night leading up to September 10, 2023, at about 2.00am, we received calls from the police authorities, notifying us that a fire had started in the offices of Tranz Network Uganda [TNU], and requiring us to immediately come to the scene. Needless to say, this information shocked us to the very core as an organisation, but we managed to rush to the scene immediately to confirm the status.
We now believe that the fire in our offices was the deliberate work of unknown persons, currently still on the run, whose main objective appears to have been robbing the offices of Tranz Network. Through the burglary and the arson, Tranz Network has lost property worth above Uganda Shillings One Hundred Million [about U.S. $27,000]. In addition, we as the TNU family have lost our sense of safety in our own work space, and this loss has been a major blow to us all.
Tranz Network Uganda has grown over the years from a nascent organisation when we were first established in 2016 to the national network we now are, bringing together various TGNC [transgender and gender-nonconforming]/ gender diverse individuals and organisations working with TGNC/ gender diverse individuals. Over the years, we have enjoyed a sense of safety in our offices, in which we created a safe, welcoming and affirming space for all our partners, allies, beneficiaries and clients, and this space has in and of itself been a true pillar for our work as TNU. To find that, in the space of a few hours, a few unscrupulous individuals can violate and entirely destroy this space has been truly devastating to us.
Despite this tragedy, we remain grateful for the big mercy that no lives were lost in these unfortunate incidents. While our safety and wellness as members of the TNU family in all our different capacities has certainly been shaken, perhaps even seriously compromised, we remain strengthened by the fact that we are all still here, and we are all still standing as strong as ever. The resilient spirit of the TGNC folks that we work with in Uganda has long been the stuff of legend, given the environment in which we all are forced to live and operate, particularly since 2023 began. We trust that this same spirit will see us build back better and stronger, that the forces that seek to tear us down and derail us will invariably fail.
We wish to acknowledge the personnel of the Uganda Police Force and the Fire Brigade for acting quickly when called upon to prevent even greater loss and damage – we cannot imagine how much worse this would have been if they had not made their timely intervention. Our community in Kikaaya, particularly our neighbours, also have our undying gratitude for the efforts made to ensure that both the authorities and the management of TNU were notified in good time of the terrible events of that day. Their timely reporting helped avert more disastrous consequences.
Lastly, but certainly not least, we are grateful to all our allies, partners and friends for all the kind words, the messages of strength and sympathy, the outpouring of love and support that we have received from all of you. It is heartwarming in this moment for us to know that we still have your support, and we believe that with this support we shall surely be able to get back on our feet and continue serving our community, which needs us more in these difficult times.
Williams Apako,
Executive Director, Tranz Network Uganda
This article was updated Sept. 21, 2023, to add information from the Tranz Network’s statement and to append it at the bottom of the article.
