Tororo District Woman representative, Hon. Sarah Opendi has asked the World Bank to stick to its business of eradicating poverty in the world, saying Uganda will not accept to have the homosexuality sin be disguised as a human right.
She made the remarks today during a press conference at Parliament, in reaction to the decision by the World Bank to suspend funding to Uganda over passing into the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023.
“I want to request the World Bank to stick to its core mandate which is providing long term economic development & eradicating or reducing poverty from countries. The World Bank didn’t create human beings, God created human beings & he created a man & a woman, & gave us clear commandments & we are living by those commandments. We aren’t going to relent, accept sin being disguised as a human right,” Opendi.
Opendi also warned the World Bank against listening to Ugandan gay rights activists, describing them as self-seekers who are looking for greener pastures, and once they achieve their objectives, they will abandon homosexuality and return to their ‘normal’ sexual orientation.
“I want to tell the World Bank that those few Ugandans that are trying to confuse the World Bank & other partners are looking for greener pastures and given an opportunity, once they have achieved what they want, they will revert and become normal human beings. The law that we passed was intended to ensure that sin doesn’t find its way in this country. The Anti-Homosexuality Act is intended to protect the children of this country. We aren’t going to allow the sexualization of our children, sodomising our children and calling that a human right,” Opendi.
Backed by the Anti-Homosexuality Act mover, Asuman Basalirwa (Bugiri Municipality) accused the World Bank of suspending funding to Uganda without fully understanding the provisions in the Anti-Homosexuality Act, saying contrary to public sentiments, no Ugandan will be arrested for not reporting acts of homosexuality, unless those acts are committed against vulnerable groups like children.
“By making that statement, the World Bank in effect is expressing a lack of knowledge of that law. Section 14 doesn’t create an offence arising from the failure to disclose acts of homosexuality. When you look at the statement by the World Bank, it creates an impression that everybody will have committed an offence if they don’t report acts of homosexuality that are wrong. And that is our problem, either, there is deliberate distortion, misinformation or total ignorance in as far as this law is concerned,” Basalirwa.
Basalirwa also denied allegations by the World Bank that some Ugandans may be denied health care due to their sexual orientation, describing this argument as a misconception, adding that no such cases have been reported in Uganda since the coming into force of the Anti-Homosexuality Act.
“In this country, where health rights are concerned, people aren’t asked about their sexual orientation. And if the medical person did it, they would actually be undermining the Hippocratic oath. So again, the World Bank makes a very deliberate misconception as far as we are concerned, to try and create an impression that when people who are gay or perceived to be gay go to health facilities, they are going to be denied medical care on account of their sexual orientation. That doesn’t happen, it hasn’t happened anywhere in this country and it will not happen because that in itself is against our laws,” Basalirwa said.
Stick to your business of eradicating poverty – MP Opendi tells off World Bank
