Women MPs to push for Sexual Offences Bill

Jun 23, 2015

Ugandan women MPs ''resurrect'' the Sexual Offences Bill, 2012, accusing gov''t of delaying to bring amendments to the Penal Code.


By Joyce Namutebi               

KAMPALA - Women Members of Parliament have 'resurrected' the Sexual Offences Bill, 2012, accusing government of delaying to bring amendments to the Penal Code incorporating their views as had been promised.
   
The MPs under their umbrella body, Uganda Women Parliamentary Association (UWOPA) held dialogue at Imperial Royale Hotel, Kampala recently to chart a way forward.
   
In the meeting chaired by the coordinator for central region, Grace Namara, who is also the Lyantonde district woman MP, the legislators vowed to come up with a private members Bill should the government continue to keep quiet about the matter.
   
Namara explained that in year 2012, UWOPA had decided to move on with the private members’ Bill, but the government decided to incorporate some Bills and even took up three of the MPs amendments to be included in the Penal Code, but up to now, nothing is forthcoming.

“Let us move on with our Bill,” she said.
   
According to a brief by UWOPA highlighting the need to amend the existing legal framework on sexual offences, research established that inspite of the elaborate provisions on the law prohibiting the sexual offences, the number of sex related offences has continued to increase with rape and defilement featuring most prominently.

Factors identified as responsible for causing the prevalence of sexual offences in Uganda include weak legislative provisions, lack of awareness, unemployment, alcohol and drug abuse and poverty.

The object of the Sexual Offences Bill, 2012 includes consolidating laws relating to sexual offences, combating sexual violence and providing for punishment of perpetrators of these  offences.

The Bill provides for creation of a sexual offenders data bank. It states that “The court shall, where the accused person is convicted, order that the DNA samples be stored in a databank for sexual offenders.” This is intended to enable easy identification of serial sexual offenders.

It says that a victim of a sexual offence shall not be cross examined on his or her prior sexual experience except with leave of court.

One of the clauses that attracted debate was about creation of an offence known as “rape under marriage.”

Bujenje MP Kabakumba Masiko warned that the MPs have to be very careful in regard to how they package the messages.

Another clause requires a person who has been convicted of a sexual offence to disclose such conviction when applying for employment which places him or her in a position of authority or care of children or any other vulnerable persons.

Under the Bill, attempt to commit rape in an offence and the culprit is liable on conviction to imprisonment for not less than 20 years. The Bill also prohibits prostitution.

The MPs agreed to meet with Ministry of Justice officials, under whose docket the bill falls, for further interaction on the Bill and the way forward.  
 

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