Ugandan parliamentary speaker promises to revive anti-gay la

Ugandan parliamentary speaker promises to revive anti-gay law

Speaker Rebecca Kadaga has met with anti-gay religious supporters

The Speaker of Uganda’s Parliament has claimed the country’s notorious Anti-Homosexuality Bill will soon be passed by lawmakers.
Rebecca Kadaga made the statement on Monday, after returning to Uganda following an international summit in Canada.
According to Uganda’s Daily Monitor, she told reporters at Entebbe International Airport that she would stand firm against homosexuality, saying:
“They said I should stop the debate on the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, but I assured them there is no way I can block a private members bill”.
A group of anti-gay religious leaders were there to meet with her at the airport, along with the bill’s architect, MP David Bahati.
Throughout various stages, Mr Bahati had proposed for his legislation to include the death penalty for certain cases of “aggravated homosexuality”.
However, in February of this year it was reported that the death clause had been dropped from the plans, in favour of life imprisonment.
The bill was first introduced in 2009, but has yet to gain parliamentary approval.
Uganda’s government has stated that it does not support the bill, although it believes lawmakers should be allowed to debate it.
Last week in Canada, Speaker Kadaga was met with criticism by the country’s Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird after he blasted Uganda for its appalling gay rights record and widespread homophobic persecution.
In response, Speaker Kadaga accused him of being “ignorant” and “arrogant”.
 http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/10/31/ugandan-parliamentary-speaker-promises-to-revive-anti-gay-law/

Speaker Kadaga promises to revive shelved Uganda gay Bill

Speaker Kadaga promises to revive shelved gay Bill

Speaker Rebecca Kadaga (L) on her arrival from Canada at Entebbe Airport on Monday. She said she will stand firm against homosexuality. PHOTO BY G. SSeruyange. 

By Isaac Imaka

Posted  Wednesday, October 31  2012 at  02:00

In Summary

The Speaker’s promise follows her experience in Canada, where foreign officials asked her to block the bill.

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Entebbe

Days after her defence against a Canadian minister’s attacks on Uganda over homosexuality, Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has promised to expedite the debate on the Anti-Homosexuality Bill.

Ms Kadaga made the assurance while addressing religious leaders and journalists at Entebbe International Airport on Monday. “They said I should stop the debate on the Anti-Homosexuality Bill but I assured them there is no way I can block a private members Bill,” she said.

At the Inter-Parliamentary Union meeting in Quebec, Canada, Ms Kadaga was involved in an altercation with that country’s Foreign Affairs minister, Mr John Baird, after the latter accused Uganda of trampling on human rights.

The accusation saw Ms Kadaga tell the minister to stick to the day’s theme and respect Uganda’s sovereignty. “I will not accept to be intimidated or directed by any government in the world on matters of homosexuality,” she said, adding that she was not aware she was speaking for many people in the world, some of whom were in the conference.

“I was surprised when colleagues came and thanked me saying that’s what they have always wanted to say but they had never gotten the courage to. That when it came to me that I had spoken for the whole of Africa, for the Arab world and Asians,” she said.

The welcome ceremony and press briefing was organised by religious leaders, former Ethics and Integrity Minister Nsaba Buturo and the mover of the Bill, Mr David Bahati, all of whom are pushing for the enactment of the anti-homosexuality Bill.

A large procession comprising members of different Pentecostal churches, Makerere University students and boda boda cyclists camped at the airport from 10am to after midnight when Ms Kadaga emerged to greet them as they ululated and waved placards appreciating her boldness in Canada.

“You are our saviour, we want the bill now,” one of the placards read.
Pastor Michael Were, who spoke on behalf of the religious leaders, called on other national leaders to follow Ms Kadaga’s footsteps for the sake of the country’s culture and traditions.

Asked whether she was not mindful of Uganda being denied aid and her being denied entry visas to pro-gay countries, Ms Kadaga said such countries were welcome to keep their aid and visas.

iimaka@ug.nationmedia.com

http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Speaker+Kadaga+promises+to+revive+shelved+gay+Bill/-/688334/1607470/-/r2faku/-/index.html 

Ugandan parliamentary speaker blasts Canada over gay rights criticism

The Speaker of Uganda’s Parliament claims that Canada has refused to grant visas for several of the country’s politicians due to its ban on same-sex marriage.

According to the Daily Trust, Speaker Rebecca Kadaga made the statement on Tuesday as an international summit took place in Quebec.
She reportedly said most of her colleagues who had sought visas to come to Canada for the conference were denied entry due to their stance on same-sex marriage.
Speaker Kadaga claimed that she was prevented from making a presentation by the organisers, along with another member of Uganda’s delegation.
Delegates from Mali and Syria were also denied visas by Canadian officials.
Earlier in the week, Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird criticised the human rights record of both Uganda and Iran.
Delegates from the two countries responded by accusing Canada of interfering in their internal affairs.
Mr Baird cited Uganda’s recent violent history of homophobic persecution and mentioned the 2011 murder of Ugandan gay rights campaigner David Kato.http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/10/24/ugandan-parliamentary-speaker-blasts-canada-over-gay-rights-criticism/

Uganda Police force battles with HIV/Aids

Police force battles with HIV/Aids - Human Rights House Network

 Police officers demand sex from female detainees and prostitutes HIV/Aids is rampant in the police force. Job transfers split police officers from their spouses, living situations mean several adults live in extremely close quarters, and it is rumoured that some police officers demand sex from female detainees and prostitutes. (Right, Ugandan police humiliating a female detainee). These are some of the reasons the police becomes more susceptible to the Aids scourge than anyone else in Uganda. As a result, about 13 percent of police officers in Kampala are HIV positive, according to Superintendent of Police Bazirakye Kaguta, the HIV/Aids Control Project-Uganda Police administrator

Uganda's anti-homosexuality law heats up Pan African Parliament seating

Tuesday 9 October 2012 18:51

Thami Dickson, Johannesburg

Ugandan Christian groups have been vocal against homosexuality(REUTERS)

 

 

Uganda's punitive anti-homosexuality legislation has sparked heated debate at the Pan African Parliament (PAP) in Midrand, North of Johannesburg. Uganda's lawmakers today failed to convince the PAP to pass a continent-wide resolution that condemns and prohibits same sex relations.
Same sex relations are illegal in Uganda. Homosexuals are often subjected to violence and social rejection. Today Ugandan lawmakers tried to go a step further, hoping to get the continent's support for life imprisonment for homosexuals.
Ugandan parliamentary member Atim Ogwal Cecilia Barbara told the PAP seating: “Africa must stand up. We must pass a resolution condemning homosexuality because it is not an African culture. We are not allowed to practice polygamy in other countries, why should we be forced to do what is not natural?”
The proposal was rejected, with some members saying it's a blot on Uganda's remarkable emergence from civil war. South African parliamentary member Santosh Vanita Kalyan says the resolution that Uganda is calling for, is “bizarre.”
Kalian went further to say: “It will never pass in this parliament, especially from members like us who feel that the rights of all should be respected.”
Also making their point across, Namibian member of parliament Peter Katjavivi said: “If that is acceptable to a particular member state, let it be.” But Katjavivi was quick to point out that such a resolution “should never be made a continental-wide affair. We should respect laws as they affect individual countries”, he went on to say.
Homosexuality is still a controversial issue on the continent with some labeling it "unAfrican". Malawian president Joyce Banda earlier promised to repeal anti-gay laws in her country, but later backtracked, arguing that Malawians were not ready to deal with homosexuality.
http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a/eb5863004d04b30287f99705f36c1c1c/Ugandas-anti-homosexuality-law-heats-up-PAP-seating-20120910

MP Cecilia Ogwal accuse western countries for promoting homosexuality

MP Cecilia Ogwal accuse western countries for promoting homosexuality

Ugandan Hang the Gays Giles Muhame Admits Wrong and Regret

But fails to apologize to the gays and does nothing to make amends to the LGBTI community in Uganda
By Melanie Nathan, Oct 10, 2012

In a self serving speech to a journalism class, Giles Muhame, the ex-editor of the Ugandan Rolling Stone Magazine, makes an admission of causing harm to gays and notes his regret for the “Hang the gays” article that he procured back in 2010.

Muhame wrote an article outing and exposing 100 gays in Uganda by showing their photographs and depicting a hang rope with the notation “Hang them!” This caused untold harm and some gay Ugandans were beaten, arrested and others fled the country.

Now Giles Muhame is trying to redeem his anti-gay hate with a futile statement of regret to a class of journalists in Uganda. (Please see the Giles Muhame form of Journalism below.)
In fact he is so proud of himself that he sent me a personal e-mail telling me that I may be interested in the article. About a year ago Muhame called me and told me that a speech I had made in Cape Town as keynote speaker at Cape Town Pride had inspired him to change his views on gays. Our interactions continued on the topic, but Muhame, instead of coming out with an apology and retraction, proceeded to pursue a book deal so he could make money off his turnaround.
However, that does not seem to have come off and since then Muhame started working on a new online publication. This publication, The Chimpreport, caused a journalist teacher Alan Greene at Victoria University in Kampala to invite Muhame to give a speech to the class. http://oblogdeeoblogda.me/2012/10/10/ugandan-hang-the-gays-giles-muhame-admits-wrong-and-regret/