While some Ugandans might think that the LGBTQI community would be celebrating the World Bank decision to suspend funding to President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni over the Anti-Homosexuality Act, a top leader of the gay community has warned that the decision by the international lender would be disastrous to homosexuals in the country.
In what appeared like an IF WE DIE WE DIE resolution, Ugandan MPs passed the Anti-Homosexuality Bill. These were supported by a large majority of citizens in the conservative and religious East African nation. Also supporting the move were religious leaders, the vocal ones being from the Anglican Church of Uganda which has since broken ties with Canterbury over gay relationships and marriages. (Read Stories Here and There).
Gay communities around the world were critical of the passing of the Anti-Homosexuality Act and President Museveni’s nod for the same. Some even called for sanctions by members of the world community and international lenders, arguing that the new law was a violation of human rights.
Last week, the World Bank Group announced it had suspended funding to Uganda over the Anti-Homosexuality Law. (Read Story Here).
But now, one of the leaders of Ugandan homosexuals has said that the suspension of public financing to the Museveni administration is not good for the LGBTQI community as well. As far as he is concerned, every Ugandan will be affected and the homos will carry the blame for the economic and other troubles the impoverished nation will suffer.
Dr Frank Mugisha, a respected figure in Uganda’s gay community and a former Executive Director of Sexual Minorities Uganda, has told Andrew Mwenda’s The Independent magazine that the sanctions by the international lender do not make sense and that they would put gays in more trouble.
“Aid cuts would create more backlash for the gay community in the country because Ugandans would then blame the community,” Dr Mugisha was quoted as telling The Independent.
“In fact, our position has always been that aid cuts would affect all Ugandans including the gay community itself. Logically it does not make sense; what we have always preferred are targeted sanctions.”
It should be remembered that it’s not only the World Bank which has announced some sort of sanctions of the Anti-Homosexuality Act. A few months ago, US President Joe Biden’s Administration announced sanctions over the homosexuals. Before then Speaker Anita Annet Among’s American Visa was cancelled. But Museveni has assured Ugandans, telling them not to worry about sanctions, and revealing what his plan will be if the US, World Bank and over agencies stop funding Ugandan projects. (See Details Here, There and Over There).
A number of Ugandan government projects will no longer get World Bank money after the announcement on funding freeze. (See the list of affected projects and how much each will lose Here).
Meanwhile, Museveni’s government has announced that following the World Bank funding freeze, all civil servants’ salaries may be cut, meaning they may take home less that they have been getting every month after a review of the current budget. (See Details Here).
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