Outrage at Uganda's plans to impose death penalty on homosexuals with 'kill the gays' law

11 October 2019 - 12:05 By Cebelihle Bhengu
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Uganda plans to impose the death penalty on homosexuals, with the minister of integrity and ethics saying homosexuality is 'not natural'.
Uganda plans to impose the death penalty on homosexuals, with the minister of integrity and ethics saying homosexuality is 'not natural'.
Image: iStock

The global community has slammed an announcement by Ugandan minister of integrity and ethics, Simon Lokodo, that the government is pushing to impose the death penalty against homosexuals, to “curb the rise of unnatural sex”.

Lokodo on Thursday told the Thomson Reuters Foundation that homosexuality is not natural among Ugandans and that its government is worried that young people are spreading “falsehood” in schools that some are born homosexual.

“Our criminal law is limited. It only criminalises the act. We want to make it clear that anyone who is even involved in promotion and recruitment has to be criminalised. Those that do grave acts will be given the death sentence.”

The foundation says the planned bill is known colloquially as the “kill the gays” law.

In 2014, The Guardian reported that former US president Barack Obama warned the east-African nation against violating the rights of homosexuals, saying doing so would strain the good relations between Uganda and the US.

Describing the anti-gay laws as “backwards”, Obama said they reflected poorly on Uganda's interest in championing basic human rights. The Independent reports that Lokodo said though they have concerns about sanctions, they are determined to sign the bill into law.

“It is a concern, but we are ready. We don't like blackmailing. Much as we know that this is going to irritate our supporters in budget and governance, we can't just bend our heads and bow before people who want to impose a culture that is foreign to us.”


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