On Tuesday 21st February 2023, the Ugandan parliament passed the Anti-homosexuality Bill prohibiting any form of sexual relations between persons of the same sex and the promotion or recognition of sexual relations between persons of the same sex.
Brought up by Bugiri municipality MP, Asuman Basalirwa, the proposed legislation is designed to address the gaps in the provisions of other laws in Uganda, for example the Penal Code Act, Cap. 120. The Penal Code Act, Cap. 120 has no comprehensive provision catering for anti-homosexuality.
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It focuses on unnatural offences under section 145 and lacks provisions for penalizing the procurement, promoting, disseminating literature and other pantographic materials concerning the offences of homosexuality.
As a result, there is need for a legislation to enhance offences relating to homosexuality and clear provisions for charging, investigating, prosecuting, convicting and sentencing of offenders.
This legislation seeks to supplement the provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda and the Penal Code Act, Cap. 120 by criminalizing same-sex sexual acts and related acts.
Click here to download the Anti-Homosexuality bill.