Ugandan lawmakers on Tuesday passed into law a stricter anti-gay bill which outlines harsher punishment for people who engage in same-sex activities.
Penalties under the new legislation include a 10-year-jail term for anyone who engages in same-sex relationships or identifies as LGBTQ.
There was very little opposition to the bill in parliament, which has majority of members backing the controversial legislation.
“This House will not shy to restrict any right to the extent of the House that recognizes, protects and safeguards the sovereignty, morals and culture of this country,” speaker Anita Among said after Parliament unanimously adopted the Bill.
That is what the majority have done today and through them the people of Uganda have spoken as provided for under Articles 1 (1), (2), (3) and 38 (1) of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda. pic.twitter.com/F3lAU7jUGh
— Anita Annet Among (@AnitahAmong) March 21, 2023
A similar bill which was passed in 2014 has annulled by Uganda’s constitutional court although it had President Museveni signing it into law.
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The court had ruled that the law had been passed without the required number of members of parliament.
Proponents of the newly passed bill said this time round enough members were mobilised to legitimise the process.
The Bill will now await President Yoweri Museveni’s consent, but rights activists say the latest move by Uganda would spark anger and hatred further for the LGBTQ community.
Homophobia is already rife in Uganda, where President Yoweri Museveni has described homosexuals as “disgusting”.
“We have been telling them [the West] that please this problem of homosexuality is not something that we should normalize and celebrate,” Museveni said.
The Ugandan president said those backing gay rights lack respect for African norms and values.
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Source: Africafeeds.com
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
