Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa has declined to open up debate, for Members of Parliament to express their views on the Constitutional Court’s ruling on the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023, saying there is need to give the Attorney General, Kiryowa Kiwanuka time to internalize the ruling and decide whether some of the provisions that have been nullified by Court can be reinstated.
“We have done our part and I believe this is not an issue where Members will come up to discuss. We have done our part; the courts have done their part. We need to give time to the Attorney General to internalize and see if the nullified sections can be reinstated or whether he is satisfied as our lead lawyer of the country,” Tayebwa said.
The Deputy Speaker also expressed gratitude towards the Judiciary for not interfering with the legislative mandate of Parliament.
“The Court found no fault in the process, procedure, though there are some sections of the law which the court nullified, but as leadership of Parliament, we are happy with the outcomes of the process. So, we want to thank the Attorney General, we want to thank the legal team from Parliament, MPs and Ugandans in general and we want to thank the Judiciary for not interfering with the work of Parliament and allowing us to execute our mandate as given to us by the people of Uganda,” Tayebwa applauded.
The Constitutional Court today has declined to nullify the Anti-Homosexuality Act enacted by Parliament in 2023 in its entirety having nullified four sections which criminalized the letting of premises for use for homosexual purposes, the failure by anyone to report acts of homosexuality to the Police for appropriate action, and the engagement in acts of homosexuality by anyone which results in the other person contracting a terminal illness.
