Africa News
Report: Uganda may drop controversial anti-gay bill
Jan 8, 2010, 13:04 GMT
Kampala - Uganda is considering dropping its proposed legislation which would see homosexuals face a possible death sentence after international outrage and pressure, a senior government minister told a national newspaper Friday.
The bill that was tabled in October 2009 by legislator David Bahati but is yet to be debated by parliament would result in gay men and lesbians sentenced to life imprisonment and death sentences for sexual acts with minors or if the intercourse leads to AIDS
infection.
The proposed law caused international uproar from Uganda's western development partners, global human rights groups as well as outcry from the country's small but growing gay and lesbian community.
The Daily Monitor newspaper quoted state investment minister Aston Kajara as saying, 'The government's official position is that we have enough laws to cover homosexuality acts. The government did not sponsor this bill. It is a private member's bill.'
'The government is studying it and we may talk to the honorable Member of Parliament Bahati to consider withdrawing it,' he added.
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