Uganda, the Parliament approves a tough anti-gay law: the last word belongs to President Museveni

Uganda’s parliament passed sweeping anti-gay legislation proposing harsh new penalties for same-sex relationships, following a highly charged and chaotic session. The president of the parliament Other Anita Among he commented that “the law was approved in record time”.

Lawmakers amended significant portions of the original bill. Homosexuality is already illegal in the conservative East African nation and it wasn’t immediately clear what new sanctions have been agreed.

The deputy Fox Odoi-Oywelowowho has spoken out against the bill and who belongs to the President’s National Resistance Movement party Yoweri Musevenihe told theAfp that, according to the final version of the law, offenders would risk life imprisonment or even the death penalty for “aggravated” crimes.

The bill will then pass to President Museveni, who will be able to choose whether to use his veto or sign the law. The law enjoys broad public support in Uganda and civil society reaction has been mild after years of erosion of civic space under Museveni’s increasingly authoritarian rule. However, the 78-year-old leader has always indicated that he does not consider the issue as a priority and prefers to maintain good relations with Western donors and investors.

In recent months, some unfounded conspiracy theories accusing dark international forces of promoting homosexuality in the country have had a strong echo on social media in Uganda. Last week, police announced they had arrested six men for “homosexual practices” in the southern city of Jinja.