Hon Fox Odoi, MP for Budama North East Constituency, who is one of the Executive Directors with Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), a local NGO, has received USD 1 million (over Ugx 3.7 billion) from gay funders for his support of homosexuality.
According to a source, Odoi is going to the constitutional court to challenge the just-passed anti-gay bill that was read for the second time in parliament on 9th March 2023, and passed on 21st March 2023 after being determined by the legal and parliamentary affairs committee in accordance with rule 128 of the Rules and Procedure of Parliament.
“He is going to the constitutional court again like he did in 2014 to challenge the bill, and he has already received money in support of this move of his,” said the source.
The objective of the Bill was to establish enhanced legislation to protect the traditional family and culture;
1. Prohibiting any form of sexual relations between persons of the same sex and the promotion or recognition of sexual relations between persons of the same sex.
2. Strengthening the nation’s capacity to deal with emerging internal and external threats to the traditional, heterosexual family. This legislation further recognizes the fact that same sex attraction is not an innate and immutable characteristic.
3. Protecting the cherished culture of the people of Uganda, through legal, religious, and traditional family values of Ugandans against the acts of sexual rights activists seeking to impose their values of sexual promiscuity on the people of Uganda.
4. Protecting children and youth who are made vulnerable to sexual abuse through homosexuality and related acts.
In accordance with the above objectives, 73% of the MPs voted in favor of the bill, 25% did not participate, and 2% where Odoi lies, objected to the passing of the Bill.
In 2014, Odoi was part of the legal team that challenged the anti-homosexuality law and caused its removal from the law books of the constitutional court.
According to Odoi, there were no reported cases of homosexuality at the time of tabling the bill, and what people should fear is themselves and not the homosexuals.
“There are no reported cases of homosexuals, and the Uganda police have reported a decline in gays,” said Odoi.
However, according to Asuman Basalirwa MP of Bugiri Municipality, it is so perturbing that people like Odoi find excuses and faults in the law to promote and support a vice that is destroying culture and children.
“Odoi claims there are already existing laws on homosexuality, but like with all other laws that have been passed, there were already existing laws that have been amended, like the anti-corruption laws, so to use that is just too lame,” said Basalirwa.
According to Basalirwa, the bill is a response to a public outcry, with citizens expressing concern for the family unit and the morality of the populace.
