Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine, the former presidential candidate and leader of the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) party, has attacked parliament over the Anti-Homosexuality 2023 bill⅘, describing it as “diversionary” and must be rejected.
Bobi Wine says the bill, which was introduced in parliament by fellow opposition party leader, MP Asuman Basalirwa of JEEMA, is a “trick” being played by President Yoweri Museveni to spark confrontation between his opponents in the opposition and their foreign partners.
Kyagulanyi says the bill is intended to divert the attention of Ugandans and is maliciously targeted to punitively violate the rights of gay and lesbian communities.
“It is interesting that this bill is coming up now amidst all these scandals, Museveni already knows what the people of Uganda think about homosexuality and what the people in the West think. Now he wants to put people like me, Kyagulanyi, on the spot for people to hear how I respond,” he said.
Bobi Wine, who was appearing on online BBS TV on Saturday morning, stopped short of giving his personal views on the proposed legislation and urged Ugandans to follow his express support for LGBT as captured in the documentary that will be screened tonight March 11, 2023, at Vega in Oslo, Norway, at the HUMAN International, where he focused more on the promotion of LGBTQ rights across the world.
According to Christopher Sharp, the lead director in this documentary, Bobi Wine must be congratulated for daring to openly appreciate the rights of homosexuals around the world; therefore, Ugandans should equally consider giving massive support to this documentary’s cause.
Kyagulanyi emphasised that his stand on LGBT relations had “long been known” by the people around him, including those in his party, and that’s the more reason he prominently featured in the documentary titled Ghetto President out of competition.
Bobi Wine questioned the enthusiasm by both the religious and NRM political leaders urging denouncing homosexuality, yet it is a human right to those who believe in it.
A few weeks ago, the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Rev. Samuel Kazimba Mugabi, announced plans to cut ties with the Church of England after it came out to support same-sex marriage.
Last month, Muslims around the country, with guidance from the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council, held peaceful demonstrations against homosexuality.
But Bobi Wine wondered why these leaders have been silent about other matters of human rights in the country and instead opted to protest against homosexuality, which he believes is a direct attack on human rights.
“I am still waiting on the sheikhs to hold protests against the continuous arrests of their fellow Muslims by the government.I am still waiting for the Archbishop to protest about the abduction of Ugandans and the corruption in cabinet.”
He also accused some foreign governments and organizations of playing “double standards” by supporting the government of Uganda in its fight against homosexuality.
“I have been asking them that in the same way you used a lot of energy to cut that aid, you should also cut aid because of the wrongs being done against Ugandans by the government,” he said.
MP Asuman Basalirwa, the architect of the anti-homosexuality bill, says in the coming 45 days he will have consultation meetings with all heads of political parties in Uganda to get their views on the bill.
Basalirwa says recently he has been getting questions about whether he has spoken to “one particular opposition leader” on the matter.
“But what I can tell you is that by now, I am confident that no political party leader supports this (LGBTQ rights). I am confident that all the leaders are together in this,” he said.
