By Spy Uganda
Kampala: As the Anti-Homosexuality law continues to bite with hash punishments for same-sex offenders, Speaker Anita Among has expressed satisfaction with not being permitted to travel to foreign countries where such ‘rotten’ sexual orientations are protected rights.
”We really recognize the voices of human rights experts but the laws and aspirations of the people of Uganda will always remain supreme. This House will not shy away from legislation that protects the morals and culture of this country. That is what the majority have done today in the House” Speaker Among said after the passing of the Bill in March 2023.
Later on, when the Deputy Attorney General, Jackson Kafuuzi advised President Yoweri Museveni not to sign the Bill, the Speaker lashed at those who fear being denied visas to travel abroad.
”So long as you cannot deny me a visa to travel to Bukedea (District, where she is a woman MP) and Buyende (her husband’s area), I don’t need your visa”, Among said then.
Raising criticism from the Western world and some international organizations, the law provides for a punishment of death sentence for a person found guilty of recruiting children into homosexuality; 20 years jail term for people found guilty of being involved in homosexuality acts; and 10 years and 14 years imprisonment for attempted homosexuality and aggravated homosexuality respectively.
However, several months after the passing of the law, Speaker Among has revealed that she is the first head of a legislative arm of government in Africa to be banned for presiding over the enactment of such a law.
While opening the 86th Executive Committee Meeting of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) for the African region in Entebbe, on Monday, she said that she has been blacklisted by the western countries because of her fight against homosexuality.
She, however asked the African leaders to ensure that the resolutions taken during the CPA meetings reaffirm Uganda’s commitment to the values and aspirations of the continent.
”As Uganda, we believe in family, we have values that we believe in, we have traditions that we believe in. As I speak now, I am one of the first Speakers who have been banned in the Western world because I don’t believe in homosexuality, and I passed a law to that effect, but I have reminded the Western world that I don’t need a visa to be in Uganda but I can move to any country in Africa. Will you reject me in Namibia? We can have a CPA in Africa, who says we can’t?, added Among.
Among, was supposed to take part in the Commonwealth Speakers Summit that has just ended in London, UK, but she did not travel because the event also coincided with the CPA meeting in Kampala.
Amidst reduced relief aid and donor funds, the government of Uganda continues to engage in talks with the World Bank after the bank announced last year it would not fund new requests for loans from Uganda due to the passing of the Anti-Homosexuality Act.
Additionally, the United States removed Uganda from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which provides duty-free treatment for goods in designated sub-Saharan African countries.
