The President of the Republic of Uganda, His Excellency Yoweri Kagutta Museveni, on 17th March 2010, assented to and signed into law the Domestic Violence Act 2010.

As a Ugandan, as a scholar, as an active citizen, as a woman, as a feminist, as an on-going victim of domestic violence, I am ashamed that I was unaware of the existence of the Domestic Violence Act.

I only got to know of its existence yesterday when a male colleague shared with me the research report:

“Women who kill in the context of domestic violence in Uganda: how does the criminal justice system respond,” co-published in 2021 by Penal Reform International and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Sadly, according to the research findings, I am among the majority of Ugandans who are not aware of the Domestic Violence Act.

Worse more, according to the research findings, significant actors within Uganda’s justice system are unaware of the existence of the Domestic Violence Act.

We are talking legions of judicial officers, lawyers and advocates not being aware of the existence of this piece of legislation.

Insufficient awareness of the existence of the Domestic Violence Act feasibly explains why, according to the Uganda Police Force Annual Crime Report 2024, there is a significant decline in domestic violence cases reported to the police.

Reportedly, in 2020, a total of 17,664 domestic violence cases were reported to the police, as compared to 14,073 domestic violence cases that were reported to the police in 2024; a decline of nearly 20 percent over a period of four years.

Of the domestic violence cases reported to the police in 2024, only 10.7% (1,502) made it to Court; and of which:

• 55.7% (837) are still pending undetermined by Court.
• 35% (525) secured Court convictions.
• 9% (135) were dismissed by Court
• 0.3% (5) were acquitted by Court

By the way, the majority, 73% (10,276) of the 14,126 victims in cases of domestic violence that were reported to the police in 2024, were women.

My own personal journey and experience with the police as an on-going victim of domestic violence, has me concerned that the bulk, 89.3%, of domestic violence cases that are reported to the police, are seemingly being ‘resolved’ at the level of the police.

And so, I invite all to access, read, and popularize the Domestic Violence Act; and advocate for Government to put in place the requisite implementation policies to make it functional.

A copy of the Domestic Violence Act 2010 is available to download from the Ministry of Gender Labor and Social Development website.