Anti-Gay Bill Back for debate in Ugandan Parliament

At a time when several gays and lesbians await for a deportation decision by the British Home Office after their applications for asylum were turned down, the anti-homosexuality militants submitted a petition to the Speaker of Parliament in Uganda, calling for the passing of the anti-gay bill.

Last week, led by a prominent Pastor Martin Sempa, the anti-gay militants submitted a petition to Uganda's Speaker of Parliament, Edward Ssekandi, with a total of two million signatures.

According to Uganda's independent newspaper the Daily Monitor, Pastor Sempa was quoted saying: “We are not here to hang the gays as people have speculated but to protect young men and girls being recruited into the practice.”

The bill had been shelved after it drew world headlines for its clauses that calling a death penalty for homosexuals and a seven years jail sentence to anyone guilty for not reporting to the authority about the gay activities in their respective communities.

Many Ugandan gays and lesbians who were in the United Kingdom (UK) argue their lives would be in danger if returned to Uganda, since a Member of Parliament David Bahati introduced the bill in October 2009.

According to the local newspaper, the militants also listed 19 organizations which they claimed are promoting homosexuality in the country.

Mr Ssekandi promised that the Bill would be debated.

The Anti-Gay Bill that was tabled in Ugandan Parliament by Ndorwa West MP, Bahati, look for surrounded by other things including a call for life imprisonment of anyone found guilty of “the offence of homosexuality,” punish “aggravated homosexuality” and offenses like having gay sex while HIV-positive by a death penalty upon conviction.

By the time when a Ugandan gay human rights activist, David Kato was brutally murdered on January 26, 2011. The Bahati, anti-gay bill had been shelved, after drawing world headlines and condemnations for its clauses that are calling a death penalty for homosexuals and a seven years jail sentence to anyone guilty for not reporting to the authority about the gays in their respective communities.

The bill was only shelved after the intervention of former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the U.S. Secretary of States Hillary Rodham Clinton and US President Barack Obama. Obama had also described it as “Odious.”

It also forbids any “promotion of homosexuality” and incarcerates gay-rights defenders.

Pastor Ssempa said there were allegations of huge sums of money being brought into the country to influence people against passing the Bill. The fear of gay people cannot be totally dispelled because in a country where public protests are prohibited and handled with brutality by the police assisted by other security agents, the supporter of the bill have been give an olive branch. They are allowed to deliver anti-gay messages on Kampala streets with placards bearing inscription such: “Think about our children” and “Together we kick out homosexuality out of Uganda”.

Another antigay rant article appeared in a Uganda tabloid the Rolling Stone (not related to the US Magazine), calling on to “Hang Them”, the lives of gays and lesbians in Uganda are on the brink of death.

Although, under the UN Conventions, Britain is obliged to protect people fleeing from persecutions, a long list of gay people waiting for deportation to Uganda has been reasonably increasing. It has been established that Xaevier Francis's partner Peter Kayanja is among on the long list that waits to be surrendered to death by the UK Government. Xaevier a British citizen claims that the government has previously made mistakes but they don't learn from such mistakes. “How on earth can someone deport Peter, when exactly know the consequences?” wonders Xaevier who is caught up in the middle of love with Peter.

Others on the list include; Florence Katasi whose name appeared in a Ugandan tabloid, The Red Pepper on February 9, 2011. It reported that Katasi was behind the recruitment of young women into the lesbians' alliance. Katasi, who claims to have had strong ties with the late David Kato, was accused of having recruited Joan Nansubuga, Amina Kentasi, Gloria Namuyomba and Stella Babirye into a cult according to a Ugandan tabloid.

Also Jamal Ali Said who was last month accorded a temporary release after the Northampton Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual Alliance intervened; Nicholas Atuheire Rugasira, a traumatic-looking guy, who is nursing /double injury', after splitting-up with the mother of his child. Now he faces the pending deportation. A bi-sexual, Rugasira split-up after his then wife discovered that he had a co-lover; Kazibwe Yudaya and her partner Susan Namutebi; Asuman Kabugo; Adela Ashabomwe, who was temporarily released after Kato's death but now remains in constant fear for her life if returned back to Uganda; Steven Sebaggala- who had a Thai partner in Uganda and claimed to have fled when his village-mate attacked him after discovering his sexual orientation. Another pending extradition, BN Uganda, 29, (BN because of the high court's order not to mention her name in the press again), she recently secured a temporary injunction. Not even the UK's Shadow Justice Minister; Andy Slaughter could have managed to save her from being deported when a judge in his outlandish ruling alleged that she was not a lesbian because she had taken neither interest nor reading the literature related to her sexual orientation.

John Bosco Nyombi, a gay, who was deported to Uganda against his will said: “Uganda is anti-gay and it's not safe at all for the LGBT.” He added that there is enormous evidence of human rights violation in Uganda against the LGBT Community. These people will be the next to Kato to be killed. They are human beings like anybody else.” Nyombi was forcibly deported to Uganda in September 2008, but returned to the UK six months later, after a British High Court Judge, George Newman, ruled that the Home Office was guilty of 'a grave and serious breach' of the law. The Judge ruled that Nyombi's deportation was “manifestly unlawful”. Later Nyombi won a legal battle against the Home Office and was compensated with £100,000, last year because he was forcibly deported to an antigay country, putting his life in danger.

Commenting on gays forcibly returned to Uganda, Nyombi, who was tortured and detained on his arrival in Kampala, explained to this reporter: “Their life is in danger as they cannot be protected by the government or the public. The LGBT people live in fear 24/7 and no one turn, they can't have life at all.” He added: “There is a lot of hatred out there [in Uganda]. One has to think twice before deporting such people.”

“Returning someone where he/she going to be killed it means that you accepted to have blood on your hand,” said Nyombi, adding that: “if pretend as don't hear and this person get killed you'll be the same person saying, you have learnt a lesson which can't bring back the life.”

“When MP David Bahati says, he wants to protect the culture and moral in the country, it confuses me as which culture encourages people to kill others. In Uganda children are punished in school for speaking their mother language, is that the way the preserve culture,” said Nyombi, adding: “Why does he wear a suit and speak English, why not keep.”

Nyombi added further: “David Bahati says he wants to protect the culture and morals in the country; it confuses me. Which culture encourages other people to kill others?” Two out of several gay and lesbians from Uganda, Saida Mwebaze last year and Naluwoza Ruth Mukasa this week have been granted refugee status.

It also calls their relatives to be imprisoned for seven years when guilt for not reporting such act to the authority if they were aware of its existence among family members.

Recently when this newspaper contacted for a comment, MP Bahati said: “I do not regret having introduced the bill.” “I have been very much discouraged in all ways,” said MP Bahati.

Separately, a couple of weeks ago, an amendment by Rep. Frank in clear and plain term it reads: “The committee urges Treasury to advocate that governments receiving assistance from the multilateral development institutions do not engage in gross violations of human rights, for example the denial of freedom of religion, including the right to choose one's own religion and physical persecution based on sexual orientation or gender identity.”

A Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Frank is said to specifically pointing a finger at Uganda as one of the countries that should be rejected for taking part into the physical persecution of people because of their religious beliefs, sexual orientation or gender identity.”

The Home Office is adamant to comment on the issue, as to how many gays and lesbians on the waiting list for deportation specifically to Uganda.