The Ugandan president, Yoweri Museveni, has steered the parliament through a contentious anti-homosexuality bill that many Western governments have criticized as among the harshest in the world toward LGBTIQ people. The bill envisions long prison terms for certain acts and, in some cases, the death penalty, according to statements circulating from the Parliament Speaker, Anita Annet Among, and other parliamentary leaders.
Museveni has publicly framed the legislation as a constitutional duty fulfilled in defense of family values. He emphasized on social media that the new law aims to protect the sanctity of family life and to align the country with what he described as the cultural will of the Ugandan people. Supporters within Parliament praised the measure as a firm stand against what they call threats to national morals, vowing to resist external pressure and conspiracy theories while asserting that the law serves the country’s best interests.
Following the president’s stance, lawmakers stated that the Ugandan people have spoken and that it is now the duty of the state to enforce the law in a manner they deem fair and stable. Museveni introduced the draft after it passed the second reading in Parliament, with assurances that the text would undergo further refinement, including a push to soften some provisions in response to international criticism.
Ultimately, Museveni decided not to sign the controversial project as drafted and asked for changes. Parliament then proceeded to enact revisions, with the goal of removing phrases that tied criminal liability to perceived sexual identity while retaining penalties for specific sexual offenses. The move drew sharp reactions from human rights advocates and international bodies, who argued that the measure infringes on fundamental rights and freedoms.
The Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee supported the president’s call for changes by repealing elements that tied punishment to sexual identity. Robina Rwakoojo, who chairs the committee, explained that the amendment aimed to criminalize sexual acts among consenting adults rather than penalize individuals for how they are perceived. Still, the provision spelling out the term “aggravated homosexuality”—a broad term associated with acts involving minors or other vulnerable groups—remains punishable by the death penalty in the current draft.
In the earlier version, Ugandans could be required to report any suspected homosexual activity to the police, with noncompliance potentially leading to prison time. Lawmakers eventually removed this reporting obligation after Museveni warned that it could spark social conflict. The revised text now limits the reporting duty to alleged sexual offenses against children and vulnerable individuals, with penalties of up to five years in prison.
Under the enacted law, any person who intentionally promotes homosexuality could face up to twenty years in prison, a clause that survived the amendments. The resulting legislative text has faced widespread criticism from the United Nations, human rights organizations, and Western governments, who argue that it undermines basic rights and targets a minority community unfairly. International observers have called for respect for human rights and proportional, evidence-based approaches to social issues.
Past anti-homosexuality measures in Uganda have periodically surfaced in political debates. A law from 2014 carried life imprisonment for repeated offenses, but the Ugandan Constitutional Court later struck it down due to procedural concerns about the parliamentary vote. Contemporary reporting notes that Uganda’s legal framework, which dates back to the country’s independence, continues to grapple with how to regulate intimate relationships while balancing constitutional guarantees and social norms. Observers stress the importance of clear, fair enforcement and ongoing dialogue about human rights in Uganda’s legal landscape, especially as it relates to vulnerable populations and the broader rule of law.