In a surprising twist, the mover of the Anti-homosexuality Bill, 2023, Asuman Basalirwa has urged Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee to consider imposing a sentence of life imprisonment for homosexual acts.
The call raised eyebrows given his earlier proposal, made while tabling the private member’s bill on the floor of Parliament, of a maximum ten-year sentence for offences related to homosexuality.
“Chair, I propose that the sentence be increased to life imprisonment to match the Penal Code Act,” Basalirwa told the committee.
Clause 145 of the Penal Code Act stipulates: “Any person who permits a male person to have carnal knowledge of him or her against order of nature commits an offense liable to life imprisonment ”
Basalirwa says his earlier proposal of a lighter penalty for the offence was only strategic in order to ward off possible resistance and ease the processing of the bill.
Other offenses including aggravated homosexuality, homosexuality involving HIV/AIDS positive individuals and parental or guardian duress, according to the legislator, would all attract a sentence of life imprisonment.
Basalirwa underlines that consent to engage in the homosexual acts even among adults is no defence, and all parties involved will face the wrath of the law.
Owners of brothels in which these acts take place would also be charged with promotion of homosexuality
Other MPs called for even tougher measures against homosexual acts, saying a firm stance should be adopted in order to save Ugandan values which risk being erased.
In his submissions, Bukhooli Central MP, Silwanyi Solomon, argued for the death penalty against the offence.
“I read the Bible and the Quran very well. The penalty should be death!” he said.
However, some legislators such as West Budama North East MP, Fox Odoi, opposed to the bill, saying Uganda has more urgent issues to tackle.
“Recent statistics indicate increased defilement, not homosexuality, so the problem is not homosexuality,” Odoi said.
Meanwhile, the Bugiri Municipality MP also decried the rise of acts that “go against the order of Nature” even among married, heterosexual couples.
“There are counsellors who reached out to me and told me there are many men that are going against the order of nature. That has to be considered as well,” Basalirwa said.