Uganda’s East African parliament yesterday passed a law providing for severe penalties for same-sex relationships. In the worst case, homosexuals “guilty of serious crimes” face the death penalty. The parliamentarians did not detail which crimes are included.
People who knowingly harbor, provide medical care or legal assistance to homosexuals can also be sentenced to up to ten years in prison. The law will not take effect until it is signed by Uganda’s longtime president, Yoweri Museveni.
However, the 78-year-old already expressed his goodwill on the eve of the farewell. Museveni had vetoed previous laws, such as the 2021 one, because he feared criticism from the West. A law passed in 2013, which also provided for the death penalty, was overturned by Uganda’s highest court due to a procedural error.