Anti-Homo Bill Blow to Democracy?

VSO InternationalA bill that may be passed into law in Uganda has been criticised by human rights groups, it has been reported.

Overall, seventeen organisations have submitted a statement containing their protests and disapproval of the proposed changes, which would result in the death penalty for those who continue to engage in homosexual activity.

Ask yourself, who funds these groups that protested, and are they representative of all Ugandans? or are they self-interest groups?

Spokesperson for Sexual Minorities Uganda David Kato stated that the proposals are a "blow to democracy" in the country.

David Kato, a primary school headteacher is defiling young kids and recruiting them into homosexuality, using his position. I wonder how Ugandan's move to make their own law is a blow to democracy, it is ridiculous for other countries to even meddle in the Ugandan system, that is not democratic! And i thought Democracy is rule of Majority? 95% of Ugandans are opposed to homosexuality, what democracy are we talking about here?

"It goes against the inclusive spirit necessary for our economic as well as political development. Its spirit is profoundly undemocratic and un-African," he explained.

Human Rights Watch, the World AIDS Campaign and Amnesty International have also condemned the bill in recent months.

Earlier this month, Reuters reported that the general consensus among activists is that the private members' bill will be passed with a few alterations, but little opposition from the country's budget donors.

The proposed bill should be passed by all means to strengthen our laws.

Homosexual supporters support colonisation- bishop

Daily Monitor
Agitators and perpetrators of homosexuality are indirectly bringing back colonialism in Uganda, the Bishop of Kigezi Diocese Rt. Rev. George Katwesigye has said.

“Let no body be deceived of the big sums of money they (perpetrators of homosexuality) are promising because we would rather remain poor than sacrifice our culture and values,” he said.

Bishop Katwesigye told Daily Monitor that the public should not rush for quick wealth, saying the desire to amass riches through dubious ways is partly to blame for the infiltration of foreign cultures that target desperate Ugandans who end up spreading homosexuality to innocent people.

He took a swipe at corrupt government officials and urged them to accept their misdeeds and repent.

Bishop Katwesigye said as the 2011 general elections near, politicians should not impose their views on the electorate and the Church to enable people make own decisions.

Bunyoro king supports Anti-gay bill

Daily Monitor

Solomon Gafabusa Iguru, the Omukama of Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom, has condemned homosexuality and declared support for the bill against the act.

The Omukama, who was today morning speaking to journalists in Hoima district, the seat of the kingdom, said that homosexuality is immoral and against African traditional norms and should not be allowed to take root in Uganda.

A known critic of colonialism and its influences in Uganda, the Omukama accused countries in the west for introducing homosexuality in Uganda. He said the negativity of colonialism was resurfacing due to the fact that many western countries are trying to impede the approval of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill.

The bill has received widespread condemnation across the world. The major bone of contention is that it prescribes the penalty of death for crimes described as ‘aggravated homosexuality’.

The Omukama also called on teachers in his kingdom to look out for children in their care by preventing homosexuality. He said that it was often at school that children were likely to learn and adapt homosexuality.

He called on Members of Parliament from his kingdom to fully back the Bill when it is presented to Parliament again.

Ugandan Parents want Anti-gay Bill enacted

Daily Monitor,


At least 100 parents, branding themselves as protectors of African traditional values, have came out to pressure the government to enact the Anti-Homosexuality Bill and ignore threats by donors to slash aid. “They (donors) can keep their money and we will still survive,” Ms Margaret Ssekidde, a concerned parent told journalists in Kampala at a news conference organised by the Family Life Network on Wednesday.

‘Not natural’
The organisation is on a campaign to restore waning indigenous family values, the Executive Director, Mr Stephen Langa, said, stressing that Ugandans will not trade their integrity and promote “unnatural sex” for cash offers from Western governments.

Separately, Archbishop Luke Orombi, a public critic of homosexuality, has said at that they are drafting specific contributions to the Bill now before Parliament. “I am surprised by the global reaction to the Anti-Homosexuality Bill because it is yet a proposal on table for Ugandans to look at,” the prelate said who was addressing a press conference at Namirembe.

US President Barack Obama said the proposed law, which prescribes death penalty for the most heinous gay-related offences, “goes against the tide of history”. Sweden has indicated that the Bill violates minority rights, adding that it will cut aid to Uganda if the Bill is passed into law.

Obama has no idea about history and Sweden, know that we now have our oil, and also cut ties with Saudi Arabia, UAE and most nations in the Arab world that have this a law like this. Allow us practise democracry

The State Minister for International Affairs, Mr Oryem-Okello, in an interview with Daily Monitor on Tuesday, described as “pre-mature and wrong” the chorus of international criticism based on a Private Member’s Bill.

The Ugandan Speaker of Parliament under threat from Homosexuals

Daily Monitor, Kampala.

The Speaker of Parliament Edward Ssekandi has said he has recently been under intense pressure over the anti-homosexuality Bill that proposes severe punishments for same sex relationships.

The punishments are not severe, they are just the same as others in similar laws, yet homosexuality is more aggrevated.

While speaking to hundreds of Christians on Christmas Day at Lubaga Cathedral, where he represented the government, Mr Sekandi said: “I have received so many communications from abroad threatening and stressing that they shall not give us money if we support the anti-homosexuality Bill.”

Why should homosexuals threaten us with aid money, if it means getting money in exchange with homosexuality, they would rather stay with their money and we die in diginity like the Uganda Matyrs.

But the Speaker called for calm, saying the matter was being handled judiciously. Mr Ssekandi’s remarks came shortly after the author of the gay Bill, Ndorwa West MP David Bahati, reported to the Ministry of Internal Affairs that his life was in danger.

Mr Bahati says he now fears for his life following the disappearance of his cousin Emmanuel Mabonga. He said ever since he moved the Private Member’s Bill against homosexuality, he has been receiving death threats. It was not possible to verify his claims.

Mr Bahati’s law, tabled in Parliament on October 14, proposes death or life imprisonment for homosexuals, but it also proposes punishments for those who fail to report homosexuals to the authorities. The Bill is currently before the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, which is yet to start public hearings.

President Museveni was recently reported to have told US authorities that he would veto the Bill, although his precise stance on the proposed law remains unclear. Several countries like the US, Britain, Canada and international human-rights organisations have described the proposed law as discriminatory, some threatening to withhold development assistance to Uganda if the Bill is passed. President Obama, in a recent statement to a gay publication, said the Bill moves “against the tide of history”.

Museveni's stance on the bill is clear, HE DOES NOT WANT HOMOSEXUALITY HERE. For Obama, he simply does not know what he is talking about, how can he say the bill is against the tide of history, when we know that because of homosexuality, the two cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, Homosexuality is the only vice that caused fire from heaven to destroy cities. No community that embraces homosexuality has ever survived. So what history is Obama talking about?

But Mr Ssekandi, in his Christmas Day speech, explained that MP Bahati’s proposed Bill was not out of order. “In Parliament, any member is free to move a Private Member’s Bill. Since Bahati’s Bill is before the Parliamentary committee, it is going to gather people’s views and report back to the House,” he said.

The Archbishop, Dr Cyprian Lwanga Kizito, had earlier said the Bill was not necessary since there are already other existing laws against homosexuality. But Mr Ssekandi insisted that the committee shall weigh the advantages and disadvantages of the Bill and advise Parliament.

The proposed law just wants to make constitutional what is in the penal code, so what is all the fuss about?

Ugandan Pastors demand Rick Warren, Obama to apologize to them

Ugandan religious leaders under their umbrella of the National Task Force against Homosexuality have written to Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church in California demanding an apology following his comments on the anti-homosexuality bill and his letter to Ugandan Pastors.

“Your letter has caused great distress and we are demanding that you issue a formal apology for insulting the people of Africa by your very inappropriate bully use of your church and purpose driven pulpits to coerce us into the “evil” of Sodomy and Gaymorrah. This is expected within seven days from this date,” The letter reads. “Since the bible says that the giant of homosexuality is an “abomination” or a great evil, you cannot achieve the peace plan without a purpose driven confrontation of evil.”

Rick Warren came in the spotlight after he was linked to the bill as one of its funders through his friend Dr. Martin Ssempa of Makerere Community Church. He consequently said he cut ties with Ssempa in 2007 and then wrote a letter to Pastors in Uganda calling upon them to denounce the bill.

This infuriated the Pastors in Uganda have in addition held a peaceful demonstration in Kampala to demand an apology from Rick Warren, to support the President, the people and the government of Uganda in their stand against homosexuality. They have also threatened to burn his Purpose Driven Books in the streets of Kampala if he does not apologize in the given time.

“It is racist for one to think that a black man needs a white man to be told that homosexuality is evil,” Dr. Martin Ssempa was quoted as saying in reference to Rick Warren’s letter.

Bishop David Kiganda, the senior Pastor of Christianity Focus Centre and Chairman of the National Fellowship of Born Again Pentecostal Churches in Kampala region has also said, “He (Rick) has embarrassed us, gone against the word of God and it is a shame.”

On Friday 11th December 2009, more than 200 of Uganda’s top religious leaders met and supported the legislators in strengthening the law against homosexuality.
The National Task Force that is chaired by Dr. Martin Ssempa represents the National Fellowship of Born again Churches, The Seventh Adventists Church, The Uganda Joint Christian Council which also represents: The Orthodox Church in Uganda, The Roman Catholic Church in Uganda, The Islamic Office of Social Welfare in Uganda, and the Born Again Faith Federation.

“Rick you are our friend, we have bought many of your books and have been blessed by them. Do not let the pressure of bloggers and popular media intimidate you into becoming a negotiator for homosexual pedophilia rights in Africa” the letter adds.

Pastors petition parlaiment in support of the anti-homosexuality bill

Here is the full statement that was presented to the Deputy Speaker of the Parlaiment of Uganda.

RE: SUPPORT OF THE ANTI-HOMOSEXUALITY BILL 2009
We the religious leaders of Uganda, under the National Task Force Against Homosexuality, which represents: the National Fellowship of Born Again Pentecostal Churches, The Seventh Day Adventist, Born Again Faith Federation, Uganda Muslim Supreme Council, The Islamic Office of Social Welfare in Uganda, The Uganda Joint Christian Council, which also represents: The Orthodox Church in Uganda, and The Roman Catholic Church in Uganda do here by humbly write to you to express our support of the anti-homosexuality bill 2009, that was tabled in parliament in October 2009.

We support the efforts of our legislators, David Bahati and others who tabled this bill in parliament to deal with this evil of homosexuality in an effort to protect the traditional family as it is in the constitution, between a man and a woman; to protect our children in schools against promoters and recruiters and Headmasters who want to protect the reputation of their schools rather than expose the evil of homosexuality that is building up in our schools.

We also express our support for the President, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the people of Uganda for standing strong against this evil of homosexuality. We promise that we shall support you and continuously encourage you and pray for you that you may continue to be strong on this issue.

We all know that more than 95% of Ugandans regard homosexuality as an abomination, so do not be intimidated or pressured to give in. This is our moment as a country to stand together, in unity to defeat homosexuality, regardless of our political inclinations, and our tribal backgrounds.

We know that the bill has attracted a lot of International pressure from our partners and donors as a country, with Sweden threatening to cut aid if the bill is passed into law, the American President, Barack Obama, his top Diplomat Hillary Clinton and senators speaking out against the bill and the drumming on the issue of Human Rights Violations.

We want you to know that we, as custodians of morality in our country, together with all Ugandans, we are standing strong to protect our values and traditions. We urge you to keep it this way; marriage and sexual relations only between a man and a woman.

Over 80 out of the 192 Countries in the world have a law against the homosexuality and they are strong on the same, over 40 countries in the Common Wealth have a law against homosexuality. So we urge you to keep strong and go forward to pass this legislation to provide a strong and comprehensive law on homosexuality.
We as the Task Force, we have been able to reply back to some of the International criticisms from religious leaders and politicians internationally. You will find attached a letter we wrote to Rick Warren, the “American Pastor” and Barack Obama the President of the United States.

We request you not to betray the cause of Ugandans who support the bill, by ensuring that the bill is passed come February and that it becomes law, to strengthen and make the law in the penal code constitutional.
Thank you so much for standing for the family.

Yours in Service

Bishop David Kiganda
Dr. Martin Ssempa
Ps. Peterson Ssozi
Al Hajji Nsereko Mutumba

The Coalition that presented this is Called National Task Force Against Homosexuality and it represents: The National Fellowship of Born again Churches; The Seventh Adventists Church; The Uganda Joint Christian Council which also represents: The Orthodox Church in Uganda, The Roman Catholic Church in Uganda, The Islamic Office of Social Welfare in Uganda, Born Again Faith Federation