Outcry as Uganda's draconian anti-gay bill signed into law
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00:00 Despite facing pressure from the West, especially from the US, which has threatened to spend
00:03 $400 million in funding to battle HIV and AIDS, on Monday, Ugandan President Yoweri
00:09 Museveni enacted a new homophobic law.
00:13 The move comes as no surprise to most of the country's lawmakers, as the legislation
00:16 has been popular nationally since the first vote in parliament two months ago.
00:21 The only step back was at the President's request.
00:23 MPs agreed to remove a provision that criminalised the mere declaration of being LGBT+.
00:28 However, the other extreme punishments remained, such as the death penalty for what the law
00:33 deems to be aggravated homosexual acts and a 20-year sentence for the promotion of homosexuality.
00:39 This provision could impact the work of a human rights organisation that can still challenge
00:44 the law in the Constitutional Court.
00:46 It overturned a similar law back in 2014.
00:50 Some LGBTQ+ campaigners and local opponents of the law are already maintaining a low profile
00:55 for fear they could not face arrest if they are accused of promoting homosexuality.