By Gilbert Akampa Kakurugu,
NATIONAL
The state minister for Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) under the ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD), Grace Hellen Asamo and minister of state for ethics and integrity, Rose Akello have appealed to parliament to tighten punishments on homosexuality.
The duo were appearing before the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee yesterday, which is handling hearing processes on the newly proposed Anti-Gay Bill, 2023.
Speaking to the committee, Hon. Asamo expressed the need to safeguard society from psychological disorientations caused by homosexuality.
“Homosexuality is a physiological disorientation which does not easily get out of someone’s mind within a short time. There is, therefore, need to safeguard society from being affected by the reoccurrence of the homosexual practices by putting in place reasonable deterrent penalties,” she said.
In submission by the MGLSD, the ministry proposed that for offences prescribed a two-year sentence, it should be increased to five, those at five years to attract 10 years and above, while the proposed 10-year sentence should be increased to 20 years or above.
The ministry also proposes a three-year custodial sentence of any child who engages in homosexuality.
The ministry also introduced a provision to ensure that those convicted of homosexuality be kept in isolation in all prisons “to prevent them from continuing with the practice and to protect the other inmates from falling victims of the homosexual offences.”
In her submission, minister Akello proposed for provisions in the law barring foreign missions in the country abetting acts of homosexuality.
“Foreign missions in Uganda have become hubs for harbouring people claiming to be homosexuals and those promoting the vice. Provision should be made to prevent them from being conduits of this crime in Uganda,” Akello proposed
This, however, attracted disagreement from the legislators who said this would contravene the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, to which Uganda is a signatory.
The West Budama North legislator Fox Odoi, known of fighting the 2014 Anti-Gay Bill tasked the ministry to avail a list of missions, and organisations that are promoting the practice.
“Can we have evidence to back this up…and not one or two videos? Legislation must be evidence-based,” MP Odoi said
The Bill is likely to be taken back to the House next week, for second reading and possible passing.
The speaker of Parliament Anita Among is on record to have previously said that the law would be passed at “whatever cost.”
