Reports say Ugandan anti-gay bill has been killed

Reports from Uganda say the country’s anti-homosexuality bill has been dropped.

The controversial legislation would have strengthened Uganda’s current laws against gay sex but several reports say the government has intervened to drop it.

Information minister Kabakumba Masiko told Uganda’s NTV that another bill would cover much of the provisions in the anti-homosexuality bill.

He said: “We had the Cabinet Subcommittee which gave us a report yesterday and we did realise that there are many things that are in the bill that are covered by other laws that are already in place. … And the law that is in offing, the Sexual Offenses Bill, will cover most of the other issues that were going to be covered.”

It is not yet clear what provisions are in the Sexual Offenses Bill.

It has been suggested that directives to drop the bill came from the office of President Yoweri Museveni.

Last January, Mr Museveni appeared to show concern over how the bill would affect Uganda’s global relations.

It “must take into account our foreign policy interests”, he said.

The bill was to be debated by the Law and Parliamentary Affairs committee.

Blogger Warren Throckmorton reported that MP David Bahati, the sponsor of the bill, said he had been assured by the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs committee chair Stephen Tashobya that debate would go ahead.