Uganda’s President, Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, at the close of last month signed a controversial new law considered to carry drastic measures targeting members of the LGBTQIA community.
The announcement was made by the Speaker of Uganda’s Parliament, Anita Among, who welcomed the move, tweeting:
“President Museveni has executed his Constitutional mandate as prescribed by Article 91 (3)(a) of the 1996 Constitution-and assented to the Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2023. We have stood strong to defend the culture, values and aspirations of our people as per objectives 19 &24 of our national objectives and directive principles of state policy.”
Within a blink, the news was trending internationally (I think I started seeing less reporting on the Ukraine war from around the time), mostly with a stinging slant from commentaries of Western Governments condemning the new law. U.S. President Joe Biden threatened aid cuts and other sanctions, while Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US would consider visa restrictions against Ugandan officials.
Soon, it was revealed that the US embassy had withdrawn visa rights of Ms. Among as a penalty for her stand. Reading between the lines, we could see this was aimed at President Museveni himself except that he is protected by his status as head-of-state and an otherwise strong ally of the West on account of his relevance as a security and stabilizing factor in the Great Lakes region.
Beyond targeting individuals, a raft of sanctions were announced including the old method of cutting funding for critical sectors. A number of donor organizations have already signalled their closure and exit from Uganda. This will lead to loss of much needed jobs and money coming into the economy as well as critical services like HIV/Aids care. Ugandans have been asked to tighten their belts because of the hit arising from the West’s uncompromising stance on the new law. Museveni, while addressing ruling party legislators at a retreat in Kyankwanzi, called upon them to “be ready to fight”, signalling that he would stand his ground despite sanctions. He called upon all to tighten their belts if sanctions started to bite.
It should be remembered that despite his straight (no pun intended) stand against homosexuality, Museveni did not immediately sign the Bill as first passed by a bipartisan Parliament on March 22, 2023. He asked the parliament it to reconsider some provisions which he said needed clarity before assent.
He, for instance, argued that the law should not criminalize the state of one having homosexuality disposition but those who engage in and promote homosexuality.
“It is important to distinguish between being a homosexual and engaging in acts of homosexuality. What is clear is that our society does not support homosexuality conduct or actions. Therefore, the proposed law should be clear such that what is sought to be criminalized is not the state of one having a deviant proclivity but rather the actions of one acting on that deviant or promoting the same in any way,” Museveni said in a letter to the Speaker.
Among other amendments, Museveni said he desired that the Bill makes provision for rehabilitation of people formerly engaged in homosexual acts. When Parliament reconvened over the Bill, these amendments were carried at its fresh passing on 2nd May. That is the Bill that the President signed which has left many notable Western groups expressing injured and scorned.
The general position among Ugandans is in favour of the law. Deputy Presidential Press Secretary, Mr. Faruk Kirunda, said on twitter and in a local Luganda language newspaper, Bwiino, that in signing the new law, President Museveni was fulfilling his mandate as per the country’s Constitution which states that “Power belongs to the people.”
“The President’s action is informed by the wishes of Ugandans. Are opponents of his action saying he should listen to them and not to Ugandans who voted him?” Kirunda stated.
Some districts had also gone ahead to pass resolutions backing Parliament’s and the President’s position, including Bushenyi. Clearly, within Uganda, and the neighbourhood, including Kenya (where notable figures such as stalwart Pan-Africanist, Prof. PLO Lumumba, have come up to credit Museveni for his move), the new law is seen as a strong defence against acts considered strange and contrary to African values and beliefs.
But is the hullaballoo about Uganda’s law justified? One commentator whose name I forget stated that Uganda is targeted because it’s a poor country, noting that UAE and Qatar, among others, have more punitive laws targeting LGBTs but no one is begrudging them.
Within the US, there has been proliferation of legislation in states across the country aimed at regulating the lives of queer people. In a report, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) organization has said more than 70 bills have been passed in US states this legislative session, double last year’s previous record. A whopping 525 bills were introduced, including more than 220 affecting transgender people, HRC said. The number of such bills introduced has steadily increased in recent years, growing from 115 in 2015.
It is said that more families with LGBTQ members have been subjected to threats, with some choosing to move to safer places. Twenty states have banned gender-affirming care while 32 introduced such legislation this year, according to HRC.
How is it possible that in a country where legislation introduced targeting LGBTQs is in the hundreds- with tens of such legislation passed- the one Bill passed in Uganda is a cause for such finger pointing? This can only be the age-old hypocrisy and racism at play-that belief that Western countries are all about Democracy when they want it and that they know more what is good for others even if they themselves do not practice it. More, that Africans must always take orders from foreigners or else they will be blocked from associating. This is all inconsistent with the acclaimed goal of suing for tolerance on the part of pro-LGBTQs.
I also notice that “rights groups” seem to sell the narrative that Uganda’s law criminalizes the state of being homosexual-whether by nature or nurture-yet it’s very clear that the law only criminalizes acts of promotion of and “recruitment” into homosexual acts, and other acts that, in the existing law, are criminalized ever when involving heterosexuals (straight people). The West needs to stop being the accuser, investigator, prosecutor, judge and executioner in dealing with Africa. If it’s about equality rights, they have to be crosscutting and/or negotiated, not imposed! NO to hypocrisy and racism!
The Writer is American-based Ugandan freelance journalist.
goddieonly@gmail.com
