President Yoweri Museveni will usher in draconian new laws, government says, despite pledge to delay bill two days ago

This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

Uganda’s president is expected to sign a controversial anti-gay bill that allows harsh penalties for being homosexual.

The Uganda Media Center said on Monday that president Yoweri Museveni will sign the bill at 11am local time (0800 GMT) at his official residence.

It comes days after Museveni appeared to bow to pressure from western governments not to pass the bill. He said it would not be signed until he had consulted with scientists in the US about whether homosexuality was acquired or genetic.

The bill is popular in Uganda, but rights groups have condemned it as draconian in a country where homosexuality is already illegal.



The law punishes first-time offenders with 14 years in jail. It also sets life imprisonment as the penalty for acts of “aggravated homosexuality.”

The bill originally proposed the death penalty for some homosexual acts, but that was later removed amid international criticism.

US president Barack Obama has urged Museveni not to sign the bill, saying doing so would “complicate” the east African country’s relationship with Washington.