By Enatu Steven
SOROTI
The Minister of State for Works and Transport (Works) who also doubles as the MP Amuria County has said that homosexuals should be jailed on earth before joining hell.
“They brought for us the bible and formal education, now they are the same people telling us homosexuality is a right. This is stupid reasoning and some of these people should be jailed on earth before joining hell.”
He said these while cautioning young people to avoid being lured to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer commonly termed as LGBTQ acts.
Hon Musa Francis Ecweru was speaking as a guest of honor during the commemoration of national scouts’ founder day in Soroti city where he was representing the Vice president Major retired Jessica Alupo on Saturday 25th Feb 2023.
National Scout Founder’s Day is a day set aside to commemorate the birthday of Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the scouting movement.
Uganda religious institutions like the Church of Uganda and of late the Muslim communities have come out strongly to oppose the trend of homosexuality condemning it as evil.
It follows the recent position of Church of England’s Canterbury Diocese that issued a set of guidelines on how to provide pastoral care to LGBTQ+ people. While the guidelines did not change the Church’s official stance on same-sex relationships or marriage, they did encourage Church leaders to be more supportive and affirming of LGBTQ+ people.
This has been a subject of ongoing debate and controversy in Uganda with many leaders coming out strongly to speak against it arguing that the Church must uphold traditional teachings on sexuality and marriage.
In 2014, the Ugandan parliament passed a controversial law that criminalized homosexuality, with penalties including life imprisonment.
While the law was later overturned on a technicality, there is still a lot of social stigma and discrimination against LGBTQ+ people in Uganda.
According to Ecweru, the youths are normally lured to join the LGBTQ Community because of material and fashionable things that they see around them. “They may appear fashionable to you but they are harmful,” he said.
He said that the health of some children at some schools may be at risk because of what he describes as bad acts brought to Africa and Uganda in Particular by those who brought civilization.
“They brought for us the bible and formal education, now they are the same people telling us homosexuality is a right. This is stupid reasoning and some of these people should be jailed on earth before joining hell.
Ecweru said one of the key principles by the founder of the Scouts Robert Baden-Powell, was good health and as members in scouts, they should ensure that their health is in good shape. He urged them to use the scout’s movement to preach against evil.
Ecweru alleges that the LGBTQ community targets youths who are vulnerable in terms of finances.
“They deceive you with money, after that, you become a wife to another man. This is stupid even the bible condemns it,” he stressed.
In Uganda, homosexuality is illegal and considered a crime under the Penal Code Act of 1950. Specifically, same-sex sexual activity is criminalized under Section 145 of the Penal Code, which states that “carnal knowledge against the order of nature” is punishable by life imprisonment.
The Penal Code has been a source of controversy and criticism from human rights advocates.
Ecweru however says the penal code act is not strong enough to penalize one said to have committed the act of same sex.
He said parliament will now plan and come up with a law that criminalizes the act totally in Uganda.
“When this comes before parliament, I will also make my statement and position on it, we have heard of cases of learners being sodomized in schools and the cases go unpunished, we cannot allow that,” he noted.
