Parliament passes Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2023

21st March 2023

By Francis Lubega

Ugandan parliament has on Tuesday evening passed the Anti-Homosexuality bill, 2023.

The Bill was presented before parliament for the second and third reading by the Bugiri Municipality MP Asuman Basalirwa.

The Bill, among others, 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.

The Anti Homosexuality Bill once ascented too will also penalize a media house found guilty of airing homosexuality content a fine of 50,000 Current Points equivalent to almost Sh1 billion.

The bill further proposes a 10 years suspension of the media operations found guilty.

It again proposes for an indefinite cancellation of operation license  for a media house found guilty of running homosexuality promotional messages.

However, this attracted a heated debate in parliament with some MPs proposing for individual persons to be responsible but not a media company unless when its a company policy.

During the debate, a total of 384 MPs out of the 529 voting legislatures attended the plenary which number surpassed the needed quorum of 176 members.

Some of the clauses amended in the law is section 8 where MPs proposed for Life Imprisonment to those recruiting children into homosexuality contrary to 10 years as proposed by the report.

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