I’ll go to court if Museveni signs Anti-gay law - Mwenda

Veteran journalist and political analyst, Mr Andrew Mwenda, has vowed to petition the Constitutional Court to challenge the recently passed Anti-Homosexuality Bill, should President Museveni assent to it.

 While appearing on our sister television station (NTV-Uganda) on Thursday, Mr Mwenda reiterated the bill is not only redundant but also ‘stupid’ in many ways saying that it is impossible for the state to regulate morality as the new bill seeks to do.

“If Museveni signs this Anti- Homosexuality law, I promise you, I Andrew Mwenda, I will go to the constitutional court to challenge it,” Mr Mwenda said.

He justified the argument that: “If I sit in the privacy of my bedroom with a fellow man who is also consenting, it means that the two of us will be consenting. Why do you want to criminalize that?”

This will be the second time for Mr Mwenda to run to court seeking the nullification of the Anti-Homosexuality law after a successful petition when the law was nullified in 2014 over technicalities.

Mr Mwenda said the law would alienate Uganda from the western world, something that is likely to affect the economy of the country as tourists and investors would be shunning Uganda in favour of other countries.

“You are harming the economy over a law whose enforcement will bring very little benefit because, if I was an investor or a tourist from the Western world, I would not come to Uganda because this country would become a threatening place,” he said.

He further questioned how the enforcement of the bill would be conducted saying that homosexuality practices are private ‘bedroom matters’ where police can hardly reach.

“Even if our morals and beliefs are offended by the practice of homosexuality, are we going to start hiring a religious police force to visit everybody's bedroom to see who is practicing homosexuality?” Mr Mwenda asked.

Since its passing, the bill has attracted backlash from several agencies including the White House, European Union, the United Nations and local human rights groups. 

Equally, the Speaker of Parliament, Ms Anita Among, revealed yesterday that she was flooded with threats ahead of the passing of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which prompted to switch off her phones hours to the sitting.

Meanwhile, Busiro East legislator, Mr Medard Sseggona, who appeared on the same set with Mwenda, encouraged partners from the Western and other parts of the world to continue coming to Uganda with respect to the local laws and regulation.

“We are not dangerous. When you come to Uganda, you come with respect for us, we have values and our constitution is clear,” he said.