A 20-year-old man has become the first Ugandan to be charged with ‘aggravated homosexuality’ after the anti-gay bill was passed in the country. The offence is punishable by death under the law enacted.
In May, Uganda passed the anti-gay bill and enacted it into law despite the controversy it caused. The law has attracted sanctions by the United States and the World Bank under the protection of human rights. Despite the sanctions placed, Uganda still upholds the newly enacted law in the name of protecting its culture and religious values.
The anti-gay law passed by Uganda has been termed one of the world’s harshest laws directly targeting the LGBTQ community. This is because the penalty for being convicted of one of the offences is the death penalty.
Same-sex intercourse victims would receive life imprisonment. The death penalty is prescribed for cases deemed as ‘aggravated’ which would include repeat offences, gay sex transmitting terminal illness, and same-sex intercourse with a minor, an elderly person, or a person with disabilities.
Subscribe to Switch TV
Charges for the defendant
The defendant was charged on August 18 with aggravated homosexuality after he performed ‘unlawful’ sexual intercourse with a 41-year-old Ugandan man.
“Since it was capital offence triable by the high court, the charge was read out and explained to him in the Magistrate’s Court on 18th and he was remanded,” Jacqueline Okui, spokesperson of the office of the director of public prosecution said.
She however did not offer any more details regarding the case and pointed out that she was not aware of anyone else who had faced similar charges. the defendant’s lawyer, Justice Balya, mentioned that she believed that the entire law was unconstitutional. The law has been challenged in court, the judges have, however, not taken up the case yet.
Balya mentioned that four others had been charged under the law but her client was the first to be prosecuted for ‘aggravated homosexuality’.
Read Also: Zari Claps Back at Ugandan Blogger Body Shaming Her
Sanctions placed on Uganda
The United States has placed visa restrictions for any Ugandan into the country. This was in response to the bill that was passed in the country against the LGBTQ community. World Bank issued a statement to halt all loans to the country until they retracted the law.
Uganda however, responded to the sanctions with enforcement of the law. The President, Yoweri Museveni, released a statement mentioning that Uganda would survive on its own without loans from the World Bank. He further stated that if there was a need for financial assistance, there were other avenues they would get funding from aside from the World Bank.
Uganda decided that the sanctions being placed on it were forms of coercion by the foreign powers. They therefore said they would do what was best for their country and their citizens despite the cost.
Read Also: Museveni: “Uganda Will Develop With or Without Loans”
