Day: October 29, 2009

UPDATE: US Embassy weighs in…

Defiant amidst controversy, Ethics and Integrity Minister Buturo spoke out about issues facing the Ugandan government and referenced the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2009. 

Government vows to fight homosexuality

By Carolyne Muyama

The Government of Uganda has warned sections of the media engaged in promoting immorality to stop or face penalty. The Bukedde Newspaper one of the local dailies has been singled out for its persistent promotion of pornographic material.

Addressing the press this morning the minister for Ethics and Integrity Hon. Nsaba Buturo said, “Bukedde is a persistent promoter of these vices and if they don’t change the editor will get arrested. As for the radio stations promoting witchcraft we are giving them last warning, we shall close.” Uganda is facing a new trend of crimes like human sacrifice, defilement, pornography and homosexuality.

However, government has sworn to fight these crimes that are mainly attributed to forces of globalization. “Some Ugandans are selfish and they can do anything to get money so they are simply driven by the urge to make money. On certain issues we are not going to sell our souls.

The issue of homosexuality, let them forget,” said Nsaba Buturo. A new law to comprehensively address pornography which is responsible for some of the immorality in the country is before cabinet and very soon it will be put before parliament for debate.

Meanwhile the government has appealed to the media, entertainment industry and the general public to guard against promoting immorality

According to this report, religious leaders in Uganda want the death penalty removed from the Anti-Homosexuality Bill but life in prison is still ok with them.

Homosexuals should not be killed but instead imprisoned for life, religious leaders have suggested.

Making their input in the Anti-homosexuality Bill 2009 yesterday, the clergy said the clause on death as a penalty for homosexuality be scrapped.

“If you kill the people, to whom will the message go? We need to have imprisonment for life if the person is still alive,” said Rev. Canon Aaron Mwesigye, the provincial secretary of the Church of Uganda.

The group, which also comprised Dr Joseph Kakembo of the Seventh Day Adventist church, Dr Joseph Sserwadda, the head of Pentecostal churches, Prof. Peter Matovu, the Orthodox vicar general of the Orthodox and Sheikh Ali Mohammed, representing the mufti, however, made it clear that they support the Bill, because “homosexuality is an evil and is anti-godly”.

The Bill tabled before Parliament on October 15, by Mr David Bahati [Ndorwa East], and Mr Obua Benson [Moroto], seeks to prohibit any form of sexual relations between same sex people.

Parliament yesterday begun public debates on the Bill, conducted by the committee on presidential affairs.

While it may not alter the outcome, I hope leaders in these religious groups from around the world will weigh in on the situation.

Other religious leaders in Uganda have also spoken against the death penalty. However, jail time is still ok with them as well.

A proposed law that seeks to penalize homosexuality activities in Uganda may have to go back to the drawing board following rejections of some of its sections by religious leaders, especially Catholics, protestants and born again Christians.

The leaders, who met MPs on the Presidential Affairs committee today morning in Kampala notes that some of the clauses in the bill that call for the death penalty are unfair and against the laws of Christianity.

According to the bill, anyone found guilty of aggravated homosexuality against a person below 18 years or infecting them with HIV/AIDS faces death as a penalty.

The Provincial Secretary in the Church of Uganda, Rev. Aaron Mwesigye says that much as homosexuality is an inhumane act against people, Parliament has to follow the natural law of justice.

Rev. Mwesigye says President Museveni’s refusal to assent to the death sentence for prisoners is proof that the penalty is not needed in Uganda.

Join this Facebook group to speak out in opposition to this bill.