The President of the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) party, Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine), has described the Anti-Homosexuality Bill (2023) as “diversionary”.
According to Bobi Wine, the bill, which was introduced in parliament this week by the leader of the opposition JEEMA party, Asuman Basalirwa, is a “trick” by President Yoweri Museveni to create confrontations between his opponents in the opposition and their foreign counterparts.
Bobi Wine believes that the bill is intended to distract the public from the numerous scandals that have plagued Museveni’s government, including ongoing corruption investigations into several cabinet members, NSSF stories, and human rights abuses.
“It is interesting that this bill is coming up now amid all these scandals; Museveni already knows what the people of Uganda think about homosexuality and what countries in the west think. Now he wants to put people like me on the spot for people to hear how I respond,” Bobi Wine said during an appearance on BBS Television on Saturday morning.
However, Bobi Wine refrained from giving his personal views on the bill. He noted that his views on LGBT relations have been “known for a long time” by those around him, including those in his own party. He also mentioned that he had been banned from traveling to the United Kingdom for ten years due to his stance on the matter.
Meanwhile, Bobi Wine wondered about the enthusiasm the bill had aroused, especially from religious leaders.
The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Samuel Kazimba Mugabi, is at the center of the debate. He recently announced his support for same-sex marriage, alluding to the rift in relations between the Church of Uganda and the Church of England. Last month, Muslims across the country, under the leadership of Uganda’s Supreme Muslim Council, organized peaceful protests against homosexuality. However, Bobi Wine today wondered why these leaders have remained silent on other human rights issues in the country.
“I am still waiting for 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 against the abduction of Ugandans and the corruption in the cabinet,” he said.
He also accused some foreign governments and organizations of playing by double standards.
