Connect with us
  • NATIONAL

    Cancel M7’s Visas To US, UK, Canada And EU And All MPs Over Anti-Homosexuality Law – MP Basalirwa; Here Is What You Need To Know About New Law…

    Published

    on

    Bugiri MP Asuman Basalirwa (L) and President Museveni (R)

    President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni today assented to the Anti-Homosexuality Bill that was passed by Parliament after it was returned on Tuesday, 02 May 2023.

    Hoever, even though the President also assented to; the Museums & Monuments Bill 2022, The Public Health (Amendment) Bill 2022, the Markets Bill 2022, the MicroFinance Deposits Taking Institutions (Amendment) Bill 2022, the Homo bill has been the center of controversy.

    Immediately after information circulated that the President had signed the bill into law, Bugiri Municipality Member of Parliament (MP), Hon. Asuman Basalirwa, who was the mover of the bill held a press conference at parliament where he disclosed that some Western governments have actualised their threats.

    “The Speaker’s visas have been cancelled for America,” Basalirwa said.

    He read an email from the American Embassy in Uganda to the Speaker of parliament Annet Anita Among informing her that he visas have been cancelled.

    “Dear madam speaker the united states government has revoked your current visas on information that became available after your last issuance. As of May 12th, 2023 you don’t posses a valid travel visa to the US though you are welcome to apply again,” MP Basalirwa read part of the contents in the email.

    Bsalirwa added, “I think they were looking for my visa to the US but they didn’t find it. So, the first victim is the speaker. And i understand even the UK government is doing the same. First of all, you will cancel all our visas and by the way it is your right. I have no problem with the way a country runs their affairs. If they don’t want us in their countries it is their right.

    “My only problem with these people, is single picking, this law was signed by the president of Uganda, may I invite America, Canada, Britain, Europe and the whole European Union to cancel the visas of Mr. Museveni. May I invite them to cancel visas of all MPs except two, let all MPs visas be canceled.”

    The new law defines ‘the offence of homosexuality’ to include various forms of gay sex, ‘touching another person with the intention of committing the act of homosexuality’, and ‘holding out as a lesbian, gay, transgender, a queer, or any other sexual or gender identity that is contrary to the binary categories of male and female’.

    Below are some of the sections in the new law;

    • Section 2 of the law creates the offence of homosexuality, punishable by up to life imprisonment.
      It also creates the offence of attempted homosexuality, punishable by imprisonment for up to 10 years.
    • Section 3 of the law creates the offence of aggravated homosexuality, punishable by death, where ‘Aggravated homosexuals’ are defined as people who; engage in homosexual intercourse with a person older than 75; engage in homosexual rape, engage in homosexual intercourse with children, engage in homosexual intercourse with a disabled or mentally ill person, leave another person disabled or mentally ill as a result of homosexual intercourse they had with that person, have been convicted of homosexuality more than once
    • Section 4 establishes that the maximum penalty for children convicted in homosexuality and attempted homosexuality is imprisonment for up to 3 years.
    • Section 5 provides for the ‘protection, assistance and payment of compensation to victims of homosexuality.
    • Section 6 of the new law reiterates that consent to an homosexual act does not constitute a defence.
    • Section 7 prohibits making the identity of a victim of homosexual rape public without the consent of the victim or of a court of law, with a penalty of imprisonment for up to 3 years.
    • Section 8 makes sharing homosexual pornographic material with a child an offence punishable by imprisonment for up to 20 years and also makes recruitment or transportation of a child to facilitate homosexual sex and offence punishable by up to imprisonment for life.
    • Section 9 makes it illegal to knowingly allow renting premises to people who wish to engage in homosexual acts on such premises an offence, under the penalty of imprisonment for up to 7 years.
    • Section 10 makes purporting to contract a same-sex marriage or attending a purported same-sex marriage an offence punishable by up imprisonment for up to 10 years.
    • Section 11 makes promotion of homosexuality an offence punishable by imprisonment for up to 20 years and gives permission to Courts to order the suspension or cancellation of the licenses of organizations which promote homosexuality.
    • Section 12 prevents people with a conviction of homosexuality from working in childcare institutions.
    • Section 13 makes failure to disclose a previous conviction of homosexuality when applying to work in a childcare institution an offence punishable by imprisonment for up to 2 years.
    • Section 14 makes failure to report a witnessed homosexual act to the police an offence punishable by imprisonment for up to 5 years if said act involved a ‘vulnerable person’, which is defined as ‘a person who is in need of special protection because of age, sex, illness, physical or mental disability, social or personal status or other status, including a refugee, an internally-displaced person, a stateless person and an asylum seeker, a victim of sex-based violence, an illustrate person or elderly person’. Clause 14 does not apply to lawyers acting in their official capacity.
    • Section 15 prohibits making a false allegation of homosexuality, under the penalty of imprisonment for up to 1 year.
    • Section 16 repeals sections 145(a) and 145(c) of the Penal Code Act, which criminalize ‘carnal knowledge of a person against the order of nature’. The sections were used mostly to prosecute homosexual acts and are made redundant by the Act.
    • Section 17 grants the Minister for Ethics and Integrity the power to make secondary legislation to better carry out the Act.

     

    By Levi Yasha

    Comments

    NATIONAL

    Gloves Off As Prime Minister Nabbanja Declares War On Minister Lumumba Over UN Trip…

    Published

    on

    Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja (R) and minister Kasule Lumumba (L)

    Furious Prime Minister who also doubles as the Kakumiro district woman Member of Parliament Robinah Nabbanja Musafiiri has declared a war on Justine Kasule Lumumba the minister of General Duties in the Office of the Prime Minister over the recent trip to United States of America to attend the United Nations Assembly.

    Nabbanja revealed that she was surprised to see Lumumba attending the Assembly meeting because she was not given permission from her as the leader of government business who is responsible for giving ministers and government officials permission to travel abroad.

    She explained that she kept quiet while in US. However, when they immediately landed at Entebbe, she issued a directive not to refund any money to Lumumba and the people she travelled with because they traveled on their own.

    “She will not bring here her fighting practices she has exhibited where she came from. We don’t even have that slot of the minister for General Duties in the Office of the Prime Minister. I directed that she should not receive a refund for the money she used in that trip,” a furious Nabanja told CBS radio.

    She added that she was told that Lumumba was part of the delegation that went with Jessica Alupo the vice president whom Nabbanja said does not have authority to ask because she is her boss.

    She however explained that president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni gave her the green light to travel to the UN Assembly.

    Nabbanja noted that for her to travel to the US to attend the UN Assembly, she first received a special invitation from the UN and report to the president who allowed her to travel.

    She said that while in the US, she meet a number of investors on the sideline of the UN Assembly who picked interest to invest their money in Uganda.

    She added that she also met some of the top leaders of the World Bank who promised her that very soon, they are going to lift the ban they slapped on Uganda because of the Anti-Homosexuality Act passed by the parliament and signed by President Museveni.

    Nabbanja denied allegations that she travelled with a huge delegation including his physical trainer.

    She divulged that she traveled with only five people and among them was his bodyguard, protocol officers and others.

    She threatened to take legal action against the Monitor Publication adding that some papers are used to fight her by publishing malicious stories which put her in bad light before right thinking members of socity.

    “They wrote that I stole Shs9bn which was allocated to teach youths how to drink coffee, yet the money was misused before I was even appointed a prime minister. Enough is enough, I’m going to act against them and you will hear the results,” a furious Nabbanja threatened.

    She explained that her predecessors used to travel abroad with huge delegations but they were never publicised as it was done to her.

    It is on this note that she alleged that her enemies are using the media to put her down but vowed to go down fighting.

    Hamson Obua the government Chief Whip in parliament revealed that during the NRM parliamentary caucus meeting at State House Entebbe, Nabbanja and Alupo were given the opportunity by the president to clear the air over the huge delegation they both traveled with to UN Assembly. They both denied the allegations.

    theGrapevine has established that there has been a silent war between Nabbanja and Lumumba with the Prime Minister accusing Lumumba of disrespecting her and backbiting her.

    Before being appointed a minister, Lumumba, who was the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party Secretary General had a bad working relationship with Dr. Tanga Odoi the party Electoral Commission chairperson.

    theGrapevine made efforts to get a comment from Lumumba over her boss’ allegations against her but her known phone numbers were not going through.

     

    By Sengooba Alirabaki

    Comments

    Continue Reading

    CRIME

    Brig. Gen. Ddamulira Advised To Clear Air On Allegation Of Shielding Criminal Gangs To Avoid Ending Up Like Gen. Kayihura…

    Published

    on

    Criminal Intelligence boss Brig. Gen. Christopher Ddamulira

    Uganda’s representative to the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) James Kakooza has advised the nonsense police’s Director for Criminal Intelligence Brig. Gen. Christopher Ddamulira Sserujogi to come up openly and clear the air on allegation made against him of shielding criminal gangs in Kampala city and Metropolitan areas because he fears a nasty ending like former Inspector General of Police Gen. Edward Kale Kayihura.

    Kakooza revealed that when Gen. Kayihura was at the helm of police leadership, allegations were made against him that he used criminal gangs to solve political questions.

    Kakooza narrated that he severally pleaded with Kayihura that if the allegations are true, he should stop because it was soiling his name.

    He added that Gen. Kayihura’s enemies based on his cooperation with criminal gangs to fabricate criminal allegations against him including pinning him over his involvement in the high level murders in the country.

    He stated that President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni based on the said allegation to fire Kayihura from police leadership and ordered for his arrest and prosecution in the court martial.

    “If president Museveni didn’t handle Gen Kayihura’s issues with maturity and experience, he would have ended up being sentenced to death or life imprisonment because the allegations placed on him were very treasonous. So my young brother Brig. Gen. Ddamulira should come out and clear the air on those allegations put against him,” Kakooza stated.

    He added that Brig. Gen. Ddamulira’s statement will not only cleared him but it will also clear the good name of the UPDF institution.

    Kakooza’s advice comes days after Kira Municipality legislator and also the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) spokesperson Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda accused Brig. Gen. Ddamulira of shielding criminals that beat up FDC delegates and stole their belongings both at Busabala and Katonga where they had gone to attend the Extra-Ordinary Delegates Conference summoned by party national chairperson Wasswa Birigwa.

    The Observer newspaper journalist Baker Batte also accused the criminal gang of stealing his brand new laptop.

    However, while speaking to theGrapevine, Batte confirmed that his latotop was recovered by Katwe police even though they have not yet handed it over to him.

    The ghetto leadership in Kampala city, Mukono, Wakiso districts also issued a statement asking Ssemujju to apologize to Brig. Gen. Ddamulira for tarnishing his name that he is shielding criminal gangs in the city.

    Shafik Kalyango, the coordinator ghetto structures, John Lukuse and Geoffrey Nsamba who were arrested by police for terrorising FDC delegates.

    They confessed that they are members of the ghetto structures which is supervised by State House, Brig. Gen. Ddamulira and officials from the ministry in charge of Kampala Metropolitan whose objective is to turn them into good citizens.

    Kalyango added that they are mobilizing the ghetto youths who have not yet joined their structures to avoid being used by the politicians to fight their battles against their political enemies and among them are those who beat FDC delegates and journalists.

    Ssemujju admitted to having seen Kalyango’s letter on social media even though it he not yet been officially served.

    He appreciated the efforts made by Brig. Gen. Ddamulira to organise youths in the city.

    He added that officially, Brig. Gen. Ddamulira denied having knowledge of the criminals hired by the Najjanankumbi FDC camp of party president Patrick Amuriat Oboi and Nathan Nandala Mafabi the Secretary General.

    Ssemujju however noted that there are elements in security circles who are working with criminal gangs in the city.

    He pleaded with Brig. Gen. Ddamulira to use his office to tame them because they will wreak havoc in the country.

     

    By Sengooba Alirabaki

    Comments

    Continue Reading

    NATIONAL

    DP Fights Deepen As Legal Advisor Declares Mbidde A Bush Lawyer Over Party Court Defeat…

    Published

    on

    Lawyer Erias Nalukoola (R) and DP national vice president Fred Mukasa Mbidde (L)

    Furious Democratic Party (DP) legal advisor Erias Nalukoola has declared his party national vice president Fred Mukasa Mbidde a scrubland lawyer who lacks authority to challenge his understanding and interpretation of the laws of the land.

    Nalukoola was responding to Mbidde’s statements where he accused him of causing the party’s defeat in the Civil Division of the High Court by Ben Kiwanuka, who petitioned Court after the party leadership denied him the opportunity to compete for the position of the party Secretary General in the recent party delegates’ conference held in Gulu district.

    Mbidde explained that the party top leadership didn’t give instructions to Nalukoola to represent the party in the said suit insisting that he is responsible for the party defeat.

    He added that even though Nalukoola is the party’s chief legal advisor, it doesn’t mean that he automatically has the right to represent the party in all legal duties since the party has the right to hire a private law firm to represent them after assessing the gravity of the matter and establishing that their in-house legal officer cannot hold it successfully.

    Mbidde revealed that the party leadership including Norbert Mao, the party president general who also doubles as the Constitution and Justice minister in president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s government declared the elections made at the party delegates conference in Gulu illegal.

    He assured party members and supporters that the party leadership is going to study the judgment and establish whether they appeal it or not because most of them are proven lawyers.

    However, in response, Nalukoola blasted Mbidde and warned him to never again compare himself to him when it comes to matters of law and interpretation.

    He challenged him to table solomonic cases he won in courts of law like he has been doing.

    He wondered why Mbidde who studied law at a mature age after studying other inferior courses at Makerere university can compare himself to him who directly from Kawempe muslim Secondary School went to Makerere University school of law and passed with flying colours and followed them up with a successful practice.

    Nalukoola who was hosted at Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi’s CBS radio talk show revealed that when the judgment was delivered via email, Mbidde was among the DP top leadership members who stormed his office at Masengere building seeking for help to interpret the judgment but he was busy.

    When Nalukoola’s secretary advised him to wait for him because he was very busy, he instead decided to go.

    He explained when Kiwanuka petitioned Court against DP and served as the party legal advisor, he directly discussed the merits of the case with Dr. Gerald Siranda the party Secretary General who was among the witnesses who swore affidavits defending the case and was in the know of whatever was going on.

    He boasted that DP partly succeeded in the judgment even though they were ordered to pay part of the costs Kiwanuka used in the entire case.

    He advised Mbidde and his group who signed an agreement with president Museveni to buy a cock and take it to his father thanking him for producing and educating a bright son who helped their party and the country at large.

    Nalukoola pleaded with Mbidde to concentrate more on the agreement he signed with Museveni instead of advising him on DP issues which are less of his concern.

    By Grapevine Reporter

    Comments

    Continue Reading

    like us

    TRENDING

    theGrapevine is a subsidiary of Newco Publications Limited, a Ugandan multimedia group.
    We keep you posted on the latest from Uganda and the World. COPYRIGHT © 2022
    P.O Box 5511, Kampala - Uganda Tel: +256-752 227640 Email: info@thegrapevine.co.ug
    theGrapevine is licenced by Uganda Communications Commission (UCC)