Kasese Municipal Council told to drop proposed LGBTQ friendly bylaw

The State Minister for Local Government, Hon Victoria Businge, reveals that they have advised Kasese Municipal Council to drop the controversial proposed bylaw that caters to the needs of people who practice homosexuality because they are a minority group.

The minister made the revelation while presenting a statement on the proceedings of Kasese Municipal Council regarding the proposed by-law on transgender and minorities.

The minister said that the most contradicting part of the bylaw is its preamble which states that “the bylaws provides for enforcement of the human rights and freedoms of marginalized populations…”

“We have advised Kasese Municipal Council to drop the proposed bylaw since it was contradicting the laws of Uganda and the social-cultural well-being of the people of Kasese and Uganda at large.

We discovered that Kasese Municipal Council was processing a bylaw titled “The Local Government (Kasese Municipality) access to HIV/TB services for key populations bylaws,” the minister told Parliament adding that by the time of her intervention, the process was at the stage of second reading.

The Deputy Speaker of parliament Thomas Tayebwa and members of Parliament have come out strongly to criticize the increasing acts of homosexuality in schools across the country.

The Members of Parliament have chastised the acts of homosexuality in the country. Tayebwa has asked the MPs to do all their powers to ensure the vice is curbed. “I want us to stand firm against this,” he said.

Tayebwa recently directed the Minister of Internal Affairs Kahinda Otafiire to investigate the activities of the NGO that sponsored the Kasese District Council sitting that attempted to pass the bylaws promoting same-sex vices.

Bukonjo West MP, Atkins Katusabe says the purported pro-gay bylaw is not a representation of the Kasese community. “Kasese is a highly religious community; Kasese upholds the value systems and I don’t want that to define the people of Kasese,” he noted.

Kioga County MP, Okot Moses Junior wants the anti-gay bill reintroduced in Parliament, noting that they were informed that the law was nullified by the courts, wondering why it can’t be brought back.