From: Leo Odera Omolo
Date: Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 5:54 PM
Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City.
AGGRAVATED homosexuality will in the near future be punished by death, according to a new Bill, which was tabled in Uganda Parliament on Wednesday this week.
This is contained in the private members Bill that was table in the House on Wednesday this week by a member of the ruling NRM for Ndorwa West, Honorable David Bahati. The bill received a thunderous applause from both the government and the opposition sides.
It further states that a person who commits aggravated homosexuality, when his victim is a person with disability or below the age of 18 or when the offender is HIV positive will face death or life imprisonment penalty.
The Bill thus equate aggravated homosexuality to aggravated defilement among people of different sexes, which also carries the death sentence..
A news report given prominence in today’s edition of the NEWVISION daily states ,among other things, that the Bill, entitled the Anti –Homosexuality Bill 2009, states that anyone who commits the offense of homosexuality will be liable to life imprisonment.
Thus was already the case under the current Penal Code Act. However, the proposed Bill now gives a broad definition of the offense of homosexuality.
A person charged with this offense will have to undergo a mandatory medical examination to ascertain his or her HIV status..
The new law further states that anybody who “attempts to commit the offense” is liable to imprisonment for seven years in jail.
The same applies to anybody who aids, abets, counsels or procure another to engage in acts of homosexuality or anybody who keeps a house, lodge or rooms for the same purpose of homosexuality.
The Bill also proposes stiff sentence for people promoting homosexuality. They risk a fine of Ushs 100 million or prison sentence of up to seven years.
The same applies to people who produce, publish or distribute pornographic materials for the purposes of promoting homosexuality, fund or sponsor homosexuality.
When the offender is a businessman, or NGO, its certificate of registration will be canceled and withdrawn, and directors of such business or organization would be liable to seven years imprisonment.
Failure to disclose the offense within 24 hours of knowledge makes somebody liable to a maximum fine of Ushs 5 million or imprisonment of up to three years.
Provisions, according to the Bill are meant to “protect the traditional family way of life by prohibiting any form of sexual relations between persons of the same sexes.”
These provisions are also meant to prohibit the “promotion or recognition of such sexual relations in public institutions and other places through or with the support of any government or NGO entity”.
The bill aims at protecting children and youth who are “made vulnerable to sexual abuse and deviation as result of cultural changes, increased information technologies, and increased attempt by homosexuals to raise children by homosexuals relationship through adoption or foster parenthood care
Ends
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com
– – –
Subject: HOMOSEXUALS TO BE SENTENCED TO DEATH IN UGANDA IF PARLIAMENT PASSES A NEW BILL THAT PROPOSES STIFF PUNISHMENT TO THOSE PRACTISING IT.