Archbishop of Church of Uganda Most Rev. Dr. Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu has commended President Yoweri Museveni for assenting to Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023.
Yesterday Museveni signed the bill into law. The law is aimed at protecting traditional families by prohibiting sexual relationships between people of the same sex, strengthening that country’s capacity to deal with emerging threats to the traditional family, protecting the cherished culture of Uganda and protecting children and youth who are vulnerable to sexual abuse.
“The Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 is good and we are grateful to the President for assenting to it. But, it will not solve all of our problems. We must also examine our own hearts and repent of sexual greed,” he said.
Adding “We are grateful the current Act affirms the merits of the existing provisions in the current penal code and build on existing laws by offering greater protection of children through strong anti-grooming measures, strong restrictions on promotion, and protection of children by not allowing those convicted under the act to be employed in organizations that work directly with children. We also appreciate that the Act protects people from false allegations,” he said.
He said the Church of Uganda supports life and, in principle, does not support the death penalty. As grievous as aggravated defilement and aggravated homosexuality are, we do not support the death penalty for those crimes and continue to recommend life imprisonment instead.
“Homosexuality is currently a challenge in Uganda because it is being forced on us by outside, foreign actors against our will, against our culture, and against our religious beliefs. They disguise themselves as human rights activists but are corrupting real human rights by adding LGBTQ to their agenda,” he said.
Kaziimba said LGBTQ relationships should not be promoted in school curricula, cartoons, human rights workshops or any other forum as normative. There is no moral equivalence between LGBTQ relationships and lifelong, heterosexual, monogamous marriage.
The Bible teaches, and scientific studies have shown, that children flourish when they are raised by both their mother and father, and with the presence, involvement, and support of their extended family. This is the African way; this is the Biblical way; and this is the way shown to us through natural law.
