Uganda to pass anti-gay law before 2013, says Kadaga
The Speaker of Uganda’s Parliament says the country’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill will be passed by lawmakers before the end of this year.
The bill was first introduced in 2009 by MP David Bahati, but has yet to gain parliamentary approval.
On Monday, Speaker Kadaga told the Associated Press that the bill, which originally mandated death for some gay sexual acts, will become law before the end of Christmas.
Ugandans “are demanding it,” she said, reiterating a promise she made after returning from a conference in Canada last month.
Last Friday, an anti-gay protest took place outside a school in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, with parents and schoolchildren holding up signs saying homosexuality is “an abomination.”
Speaker Kadaga then promised to consider the bill within two weeks, declaring that “the power is in our hands.”
Conservative MP Margot James urged for the world’s politicians to promote gay rights and alluded to the situation in Uganda.
While the bill appears to be popular in Uganda, it has attracted widespread criticism abroad.
US President Barack Obama has described it as “odious,” while some European countries have threatened to cut aid to Uganda if the bill becomes law.
