Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni yesterday signed an anti-homosexuality Bill into law. The President said he signed the Bill because scientific research proved that homosexuality can be fought because it is by nurture and not nature.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni yesterday signed an anti-homosexuality Bill into law.
The President said he signed the Bill because scientific research proved that homosexuality can be fought because it is by nurture and not nature.
"We reject the notion that somebody can be homosexual by choice; that a man can choose to love a fellow man; that sexual orientation is a matter of choice,” Museveni said, as he signed the Bill at State House, Entebbe.
The President said in order to get to the truth, he involved Ugandan scientists and consulted scientists from outside Uganda.
"After exhaustive studies, it has been found that homosexuality is in two categories. There are those who engage in homosexuality for mercenary reasons on account of the under-developed sectors of our economy that cause people to remain in poverty, the great opportunities that abound not withstanding; and then there are those that become homosexual by nurture (up-bringing),” he said.
On the issue of Uganda losing aid by signing the Bill, Museveni, invoking the story of Esau in the Bible, said Uganda will not give up their rights because of food like Esau did.
He told the audience, which included legislators and senior government officials, that Uganda does not need aid.
"Uganda is very rich, we do not need the aid,” he said.
The Bill has sparked debate in the past few weeks after US President Barrack Obama said signing the Bill will strain the relations between Uganda and the US.
Museveni maintained Uganda would want to work with the West, but cannot be subservient to do things like homosexuality.
He directed the Ministry of Gender and Youth to de-campaign immoral conduct imported from outside and sensitise the youth about the healthy lifestyle that is abundant in the Uganda culture.