Editorial
Uganda anti-gay bill: A Misguided Policy
Thus, the re-introduction of the ‘Kill the Gays Bill’ could have been a political ploy to extract concessions from Western donors – in the same mold that North Korea continues to pursue its nuclear program. In fact, another scenario – the recent ‘tiff’ between Museveni and major oil companies over revenue and refineries – could also be resultant of the need to pressure the west to back off whatever reprisal(s) might be in the offing.
On the other hand, Speaker Kadaga’s ‘gift’ was right on the money. Homosexuality, especially that one involving men, is abhorred in Ugandan society. As seen from the protests and media responses between 2009 and the present day, many see these acts as against nature and in direct contradiction to the values of the overwhelmingly religious country of both Christians and Muslims. Many of these contend that homosexuality and sexual pervasion are aspects of Western import – missing the irony that their own religion is, in fact, the biggest import of them all. And even when media reports showed a flamboyant sportsman engaged in gay sex – someone who was rumored to be gay since the early 1980s – the west received the brunt of the public’s anger for availing him political asylum.
Some even believe that homosexuality is a bigger threat to national security than corruption.
The Uganda Law Society and mainstream religious groups follow South Africa’s Archbishop Desmond Tutu in preaching tolerance – not for homosexuality but for the aegis of human rights which they believe this legislation goes against. Jurists also point out that despite the law being on the books since the country’s 1962 independence and throughout the country’s different constitutions, this has not stopped the country’s mostly Pentecostal Christian movement from pushing for additional changes. Parents, siblings, relatives, friends and acquaintances are compelled by this new proposed law to ‘snitch’ on those they believe are again on pain of they, themselves, being brought up on accessory charges.
This has to be one of the biggest weaknesses of proposed legislation. On top of being in direct contravention of pacta sunt servanda, this law seems to borrow from the most nebulous of Hitler’s Germany where Jews were sold out by their neighbors, and also from Josef Stalin’s USSR where millions were sent to Siberian gulags or to their death. Nonetheless, during this festive season, when most Ugandans celebrate a time of family and hard work, Speaker Kadaga has not delivered what she promised.
Many will not understand how something as black and white as this cannot be passed. They will blame money. They will blame the western colonialists. They may even blame the woman who opened the country’s first female owned law chambers from marshaling an important law through her august body. In the meantime, homosexuals will continue to dwell in the “Pearl of Africa”.
Dennis Matanda
Editor – [email protected]
Editor’s Note: We shall run additional features on Uganda’s anti gay bill in our Opinion section.
