ugandan lawmakers pull the plug on homosexual activities

By Musa Ngubane

July 7, 2005: Kampala - The decision to administer Kampala under central government taken by Ugandan House of Parliament was not the only contentious decision taken during the sitting of the 5th of July 2005. The house considered and passed the Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3, 2005.

The day spelt doom and gloom for the gay and lesbian community as the legislation making body effectively outlawed homosexuality. Parliament overwhelmingly approved an amendment to Article 31, providing for complete rejection and criminalisation of same sex marriages.

One hundred and eleven MPs supported Katuntu's amendment, while 17, including some ministers opposed it. Three abstained.

The original proposed amendment had read: "Marriage is lawful only if entered into between a man and a woman," but some MPs felt this was not good enough as it did not necessarily suggest that same sex marriages were outlawed. After considering the proposed amendments, clause by clause, Parliament will vote on the whole Bill at the third reading.

The committee, however, relaxed some laws and approved a clause that will allow Ugandans to acquire dual citizenship for other nationals to acquire Ugandan citizenship. Swahili will be incorporated as the second official language, the mover of the amendment.

Abdu Katuntu (Bugweri), the proponent of these new reforms, said the move would promote communication in the East African region, where the language is widely spoken.

Sources: The Monitor and New Vision