Uganda: Parliament to vote on Anti-homosexuality Bill today

The Ugandan Parliament is expected to take a vote on the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2023 today (Tuesday, March 21). 

Today's Parliament Order Paper, as reported by Daily Monitor, shows that the Bill will be presented for the second and third reading. The Bill was sponsored by Bugiri Municipality Member of Parliament Asuman Basalirwa.

The vote comes at a time when different stakeholders have expressed mixed reactions over the Bill.

Speaker of the Parliament, Anita Among, had earlier proposed that voting be done by a show of hands. Among has on several occasion vowed that the Bill must pass "at whatever cost".

Speaker: Bill must pass

The speaker has gone further to call upon Ugandans to vote out MPs who will not support the anti-homosexuality bill.

“I am going to bring a law on the Floor (of Parliament) that will protect our children from being recruited into homosexuality; so, ask your MPs to vote [support the law]. Shun those who will not have voted in its favour as betrayers," Among said in a function earlier this month.

The Bill seeks to prohibit same-sex sexual relations, strengthen Uganda’s capacity to deal with domestic and foreign threats to the heterosexual family, safeguard traditional and cultural values and protect youth/children against gay and lesbian practice through imposing penalties on the perpetrators.

If Bill is passed...

If the Bill is eventually passed and assented into law, homosexuals, landlords, brothel proprietors, chief executives of pro-gay organisations, journalists and film directors face imprisonment or fines, ranging from Shs5m (KSh174,000) to Shs100m (KSh3,500,000).

Offences of homosexuality and attempted or aggravated homosexuality will attract a maximum of 10-year jail term while any entity promoting the 'vice' shall pay a fine of Shs100m (KSh3,500,000) among others.