UGANDA | MUSEVENI | NRM | ANTI-HOMOSEXUALITY BILL

President Yoweri Museveni is set to meet legislators on the Anti-Homosexuality Bill.

On Tuesday Hamson Obua, the Government Chief Whip, communicated the matter in a memo to the legislators titled Meeting of the NRM parliamentary Caucus — April 20, 2023, at State House, Entebbe.

“This is to notify and invite you to the above-mentioned meeting. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss among others, the Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023,” he said in the communication dated April 18, 2023.

He added: “All members are required to undertake a COVID-19 test on Tuesday, April 18 (1:00-5:00 pm) and Wednesday, April 19, 2023, (9:00 am to 5:00 pm) at the Parliamentary Conference Hall".

Legislators in March this year passed the Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023, which prescribes several penalties against same-sex relationships.   

Among the penalties is a 10-year-jail term for anyone who engages in same-sex relationships or identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ).

Efforts to have a similar law in place in 2014 failed after the court nullified Anti-Homosexuality Act 2014 on grounds that the same was passed without the required quorum.

However, the same returned to a nearly full 11th parliament on March 21, 2023, as 389 lawmakers were present in person, with about 55 MPs following proceedings on Zoom technology. 

The Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023, is currently with the President, who can choose to veto it or sign it into law.