Govt remains firm over anti-gay law

Government has in a stern response to the Western powers, insisted to remain firm and stick to the strict Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2023, despite the persistent growing backlash.

As he addressed Parliament last evening, the Minister for ICT and National Guidance, Dr Chris Baryomunsi, said: “As government and as Ugandans, we should remain very firm. We may be poor but we are not desperate that you just dangle some resources and then we abandon our values.”

The government’s position comes just days after the US government on Monday indicated that visa restrictions would be slapped on some of the Ugandan officials who implement the tough anti-same-sex legislation.

“It is also wrong for the Western world to single-out Ugandans. We have told the diplomats that we are a sovereign county,” he said, adding: “We pass laws in the interest of Ugandans, not foreigners. Therefore, nobody is going to coerce Parliament or the government to start making laws in the interest of foreigners.”

Dr Baryomunsi also informed the same legislators, who okayed the legislation that was in last May signed into law by President Museveni, that the “government will definitely respond when we get official communication from the US or any other governments that put these threats” on Uganda.

The Speaker of Parliament, Ms Anita Among, who steered plenary last evening,  applauded the legislators for enacting the anti-gay law.

“We don’t regret passing that law. I want to thank the President for assenting to it. Some people thought that the President was not going to assent to it,” Speaker Among said.

She added: “I am proud and happy with what the President did. We’ll continue protecting families, the rights of our children and our country.”

She also took a swipe at Western powers that have moved to halt support towards some government projects and or deny some visa clearances for some Uganda officials due to the anti-gay law.

“We will not live on handouts. My visa was cancelled, have I died? I have said so long as you don’t cancel the visa to Bukedea and Buyende, I will go there freely. You can cancel the other visas,” Ms Among said, adding:  “We have all that we need in this country in Uganda. So long as your kids are not being sodomised.”

The same sentiments were shared by the Soroti West MP, Mr Jonathan Ebwalu, who said “those who don’t want this law, let them leave our country and live wherever they want to live.”

Warning

Without sharing details, the architect of the said legislation, Mr Asuman Basalirwa, the Bugiri Municipality MP, warned colleagues of the strong influence from persons against his law, and that some had already visited his office in an attempt to push for a reversal of the said law.

“I am also aware that forces promoting homosexuality are very strong. They have money, they have influence. I know some of our colleagues are under pressure. There is a lot of pressure, there is a lot of intimidation,” Mr Basalirwa told Parliament.

He added: “I have engaged these forces because they have been in my office from Britain, America and the rest [of the world]. They are looking for allies to promote this immorality in this country.”