'For God & Our Country': Uganda's President Museveni Signs Anti-Homosexuality Act Into Law
10:58 29.05.2023 (Updated: 11:20 29.05.2023)
© AP Photo / Hajarah Nalwadda
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Earlier this year, the Ugandan parliament passed an anti-gay law that proposes new penalties for homosexual intercourse.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Monday signed the 2023 Anti-Homosexuality Bill into law, announced Speaker of Parliament Anita Among.
"His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Uganda, General Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, has executed his constitutional mandate as prescribed by Article 91 (3) (a) of the Constitution. He has assented to the Anti-Homosexuality Act," Anita Among tweeted. "As the Parliament of Uganda, we have answered the cries of our people. We have legislated to protect the sanctity of family as per Article 31 of the Constitution of Uganda. We have stood strong to defend our culture and aspirations of our people as per objectives 19 & 24 of national objectives and directive principles of state policy."
The Speaker thanked President Museveni for "his steadfast action in the interest of Uganda," praising her colleagues in the Parliament for "withstanding all the pressure from bullies and doomsday conspiracy theorists in the interest of our country."
"By their action, we have lived by our motto: *For God and our Country*," Anita Among stated.
She has also thanked the people of Uganda "for the prayers and encouragement while we executed our mandate in line with Articles 1 and 79 of the Constitution."
"We shall always stand for and promote the interest of the people of Uganda. I now encourage the duty bearers under the law to execute the mandate bestowed upon them in the Anti-Homosexuality Act. The people of Uganda have spoken, and it is your duty to now enforce the law in a fair, steadfast, and firm manner," the Speaker argued.
The 2023 Anti-Homosexuality Bill was introduced by Asuman Basalirwa, a member of parliament, in March.
According to the lawmaker, the purpose of the bill is to protect the culture, religious and family values of the Ugandan people "from acts that are likely to promote sexual promiscuity in this country."
