Ugandans Awaits Museveni’s Signing of Anti-Homosexual Bill.

All eyes of Ugandan are on President Museven on his decision he has to take concerning the signing of Anti-Homosexual bill, passed by Parliament.

Parliament on Tuesday unanimously passed the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2023 that criminalizes all activities related to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer– LGBTQ individuals.

Under this new law, harsh penalties, including imprisonment of those found guilty of such activities between 2-10 years.

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As the bill awaits the signature of the president Yoweri Kagutta Museveni to become law, the question on everyone’s mind is: will he sign it, or reject it.

According to the Bugiri Municipality Member of Parliament, Asuman Basalirwa, who first tabled the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2023 for its first reading on March 9 2023 before Speaker Anita Among, he referred the bill to the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee for scrutiny.

After 10 days of rigorous public hearings and scrutiny, the Committee returned the Bill to the House on Tuesday for the second and third reading before it was overwhelmingly passed following seven hours of debate in which, 358 out of the 529 legislators participated.

MP Basalirwa also noted that the bill will help to establish comprehensive and enhanced legislation to protect the traditional family by prohibiting same-sex relations as well as strengthening Uganda’s capacity to deal with the emerging threats to the traditional family.

He also argued that the new law will protect the cherished culture of Uganda, children, and youth who are vulnerable to sexual abuse as well as prohibit same-sex marriages. The Bill prohibits and penalizes homosexuality and its related practices, the promotion of homosexuality, and protects and provides assistance and payment of compensation to victims of homosexuality.

It should be noted that Uganda first passed the Anti-Homosexuality law on December 20, 2013, which was tabled by the Ndorwa East Member of Parliament, David Bahati. This particular law provided a life sentence and the death penalty for offenders.

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni signed the Act into law on 24 February 2014 but it was later annulled by the Constitutional Court on grounds that it was passed without the requisite quorum in the parliament.

 However, several donors by then in countries like Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the USA suspended aid to Uganda.