Tanzania

Tanzania criminalizes consensual same-sex relations under Sections 154 and 155 of the penal code, imposing a penalty of 14 years’ imprisonment. The semi-autonomous region of Zanzibar also criminalizes consensual same-sex relations under Sections 150-154 of the Penal Decree (Act No. 6) of 2004 and prescribes a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison. Section 153 criminalizes same-sex relations between women, while Section 154 criminalizes gross indecency. In 1998, the Special Offences Special Provision Act amended the penal code, making consensual same-sex relations punishable with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a minimum of 30 years in prison. These provisions of the penal code are actively enforced. Human Dignity Trust has reported several arrests since 2017, and in recent years, several political leaders have instructed the security apparatus to crack down on LGBTIQ persons in both Tanzania and Zanzibar. Some individuals have been subjected to forced anal testing to gather evidence to support charges of homosexuality. 

In 2023, following the enactment of the Anti-Homosexuality Act in Uganda, Tanzanian government officials began a concerted effort to further criminalize consensual same-sex relations. In June 2025, ​​then-Deputy Minister for Constitution and Legal Affairs Jumanne Sagini announced that the government was finalizing the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill, which would revise Section 176 of the penal code to criminalize “acts of moral misconduct,” including same-sex relationships and marriages.

Hostile rhetoric, together with existing conservative cultural and religious beliefs, has further exacerbated the persecution of LGBTIQ people by authorities, which has included reprisals against LGBTIQ human rights defenders for their human rights work. Tanzanian human rights activists shared a confidential report with Outright that demonstrates increased targeting of activists and NGOs during the October 2025 elections in Tanzania, with three LGBTIQ organizations visited by police. Two organizations were forced to suspend or relocate operations due to repeated intimidation. The report further alleges that 13 LGBTIQ defenders were surveilled in Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, Arusha, and Mbeya, and five activists were briefly detained, accused of “mobilizing unrest,” despite no supporting evidence.