A Uganda woman who was raped by her uncle to ‘cure’ her sexuality has won the right to asylum in the UK.

Harriet Nakigudde, 30, is now a free woman after a traumatic two months at the mercy of the Home Office.

They refused to believe she was a lesbian despite the evidence and were going to send her back – possibly to her death.

That’s when campaigners rallied to rescue her and Gay Star News shared the truth about her story.

And a little less than an hour ago (31 July), her solicitor rang her to tell her she had won her appeal.

‘I am very, very happy.’ Nakigudde gleefully told GSN.

‘I’m feeling so relieved, so over the moon. At last I’ve got my freedom. Now I am going to go live my life, no more living a lie.

‘I’m going to live free. Be free. I’m going to go out there and support all of the gay and lesbians living in fear.’

Over the past two months, Nakigudde has been suffering over the situation while she resided in Yarl’s Wood detention center. She lost a significant amount of weight, couldn’t sleep because of the nightmares, and had memory loss.

With her support group claiming she was in no fit state to speak to a judge, Nakigudde picked herself up and stuck to her guns.

Describing the appeal hearing yesterday (30 July), she said: ‘The Home Office, I think they thought I was lying, but I proved to them I have never lied about my sexuality or my past.

‘I was myself. The Home Office tried to confuse me, trying to make me out to be a liar.

‘But I stuck to my point, I looked at the judge, and the judge believed me. She judged truly. I am so happy.’

She added: ‘I would like to thank Gay Star News. All of the readers have been so supportive. Thank you.

‘I would like to thank all the campaigners, some who I have never met. Out and Proud Diamond Group. Everyone who supported me. God bless them.’

Edwin Sesange, director of Africa’s Out and Proud LGBTI Diamond Group who was a witness at the appeal, said he was ‘very happy’ for her. He thanked the UK government for making the right decision.

Nakigudde now plans to campaign for LGBTI rights, especially in countries where women like her face terrors just for being who they are.

‘I don’t have to hide anymore,’ she said. ‘I can be an out and proud gay woman.’