Uganda news round-up: Anti-homosexuality bill 'will harm country's fight against HIV/Aids'; first lady calls for men to better support their wives through childbirth; the World Cup comes to Uganda
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Hetty ter Haar
Nov 20, 2009, 1:58:47 PM11/20/09
to USA Africa Dialogue Series
Activists denounce Uganda's homosexuality bill
Uganda news round-up: Anti-homosexuality bill 'will harm country's
fight against HIV/Aids'; first lady calls for men to better support
their wives through childbirth; the World Cup comes to Uganda
Eliza Anyangwe and Liz Ford
Friday November 20 2009
guardian.co.uk
http://www.guardian.co.uk/katine/2009/nov/20/homosexuality-bill
A Ugandan government bill that is advocating the death penalty for gay
people will hinder the country's fight against HIV/Aids, legal experts
and activists warned this week.
Under the anti-homosexuality bill, now going through parliament,
anyone repeatedly "caught" having sex with someone of the same sex
faces the death penalty, while people who touch each other [http://
www.ipsnews.net/africa/nota.asp?idnews=49189] in a "gay way" could be
jailed.
A clause in the bill also punishes anyone who fails to report an
offence within 24 hours of witnessing or finding out about it.
This week, at a public meeting held at Makerere University in Kampala,
Rubaramira Ruranga, the executive director of the National Guidance
and Empowerment Network of people living with HIV/Aids in Uganda, who
is HIV-positive, said: "Fifteen percent of the HIV/Aids spread is as a
result of gay activities.
"The best thing is to educate them [homosexuals] because
criminalisation causes stigma, discrimination and denied knowledge on
HIV/Aids and its treatment."
Others said the bill went "overboard" and should be withdrawn,
reported the Daily Monitor [http://www.monitor.co.ug/artman/publish/
news/Homosexuality_Bill_is_extreme-_activists_94822.shtml].
Sylvia Tamale, a Law don at Makerere and a human right activist,
said: "Five of the 18 clauses are problematic from the legal point of
view and the attempt to outlaw the promotion of homosexuality will
affect everybody because the clauses introduce censorship and
undermine freedom of expression, speech, association and assembly."
The Coalition on Human Rights and Constitutional Law (CHRCL) has
already expressed its disgust at the bill, saying it is an attempt by
some in government to "to whip up sentiments of fear and hatred" by
lumping together "predatory sexual acts that violate the rights of
vulnerable sections of our society [with] sexual acts between
consenting adults".
Valentine Kalende, a spokesman for CHRCL, added that "a better title
for this bill would have been the anti-human rights bill".
Despite the outcry over the bill by local and international civil
society groups, and criticism [http://thecitizen.co.tz/newe.php?
id=15586] from other African leaders, the uproar is seen by some in
Uganda as a sign that the country is providing strong leadership.
Uganda's ethics and integrity minister, James Nsaba Buturo, told IPS
that "it is with joy we see that everyone is interested in what Uganda
is doing, and it is an opportunity for Uganda to provide leadership
where it matters most".
David Bahati, the MP who introduced the bill, defended it by saying
"homosexuality is not a human right. It is a foreign behaviour
imported and promoted by people using the poverty in our country to
expound bad behaviour".
Call for men to support their wives
Men should support their wives in using contraception and not abandon
them during pregnancy and after childbirth, Uganda's first lady, Janet
Museveni, told an international conference on family planning [http://
en.afrik.com/article16474.html] this week.
Addressing the conference in Kampala, sponsored by the Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation and expected to be attended by more than
2,000 delegates from around the world, Museveni said: ''Men should
always support their wives at all times. They should not only
participate at the time of conception, but also during pregnancies and
after giving birth.''
According to a report in New Vision [http://allafrica.com/stories/
200911161265.html], an estimated 6,000 women in Uganda die during or
after delivery each year.
Hassan Mohtashami, deputy country representative for the United
Nations Population Fund, said that most of these deaths would be
preventable if sexual and reproductive health information and services
were universally available. The paper reported that Uganda's poorest
couples have the least access to services because of a lack of
information about what's available and from an inadequate supply of
contraceptives, such as condoms.
Policymakers, researchers and health professionals from 59 countries
were expected to meet for the four-day event, which opened in Kampala
on Sunday. It is believed to be the largest conference held on family
planning [http://www.ghananewsagency.org/s_health/r_9543/] for 15
years.
Werner Haug, a United Nations Development Fund senior officer, said
63% of women in the world now used family planning methods, up from
20% in the 1960s. The use of family planning saved more than 2.7
million lives each year., he added. However, he pointed out that 200
million women in the world continue to lack access to family planning
services.
Bill Gates addressed the audience via a video message, pledging
continued support for family planning programmes as they led to a
reduction in maternal and infant mortality.
The Millennium Development Goal that focuses on improving maternal
health is farthest from its 2015 objectives.
Uganda has the highest unmet need for contraception in east Africa
[http://www.guardian.co.uk/katine/2009/oct/28/uganda-contraceptive-
use].
In Katine [www.guardian.co.uk/katine], an area of north-east Uganda
where development work is being carried out by the African Medical and
Research Foundation (Amref), funded by the Guardian and Barclays,
Amref is working with Marie Stopes International to provide a range of
services [http://www.guardian.co.uk/katine/2009/sep/01/amref-
contraception-family-planning] to villagers, including implants and
tubal ligation, that would otherwise not be available to the rural
community.
14 charged with treason
A freelance journalist is among the 14 people who were this week
committed to the high court in Uganda for trial on charges of treason.
Patrick Otim, 34, who works for a local newspaper, is among those
accused of plotting to overthrow the government and Uganda's president
Yoweri Museveni.
According to a report in the Daily Monitor [http://www.monitor.co.ug/
artman/publish/news/14_Ugandans_charged_with_treason_94793.shtml], the
accused men were part of a new rebel group that had met in Nairobi to
arrange an armed coup.
It is alleged that funding for the coup came from the diaspora, while
those from inside Uganda were responsible for recruiting participants,
working out the logistics and overseeing training.
It is claimed the group was operating in the districts of Gulu, Pader,
Kitgum, Masindi, Nebbi, Apac, Amuru and Kampala.
World Cup trophy celebrations
Some 6,000 tickets were given out for a free "fiesta" to mark the
arrival of the World Cup trophy [http://www.monitor.co.ug/artman/
publish/SSports/6_000_to_view_WC_trophy_at_Lugogo_94621.shtml] in
Kampala on Sunday.
The event was part of the trophy's 52-nation African tour ahead of
next year's World Cup tournament in South Africa.
Speaking to guests [http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/12/701280] at a
state function to unveil the cup, Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni
said: "The most important issue here isn't the cup, but what it
symbolises to kids and all Ugandans."
Museveni remarked on the popularity of football and its ability to
equip young people with life skills. "Sport and football in
particular is a very good mechanism of imparting fitness, coordination
and competition, but also general good behaviour. It brings a spirit
of competition that is not confrontational, that is not hostile."
FIFA regulations allow only heads of state and the tournament's
winners to touch the 6kg, 18-carat gold and malachite trophy. But
Ugandans did have the chance to take their photos alongside it.
After Uganda, the trophy will head to Djibouti.
Earlier this year, England's Barclays Premier League trophy was flown
over to Uganda for the Katine 09 Football tournament [http://
www.guardian.co.uk/katine/football]. The tournament involved 48 local
teams and was organised to encourage team building and provide a way
to communicate health messages to the community.
guardian.co.uk Copyright (c) Guardian News and Media Limited. 2009
Uganda news round-up: Anti-homosexuality bill 'will harm country's
fight against HIV/Aids'; first lady calls for men to better support
their wives through childbirth; the World Cup comes to Uganda
Eliza Anyangwe and Liz Ford
Friday November 20 2009
guardian.co.uk
http://www.guardian.co.uk/katine/2009/nov/20/homosexuality-bill
A Ugandan government bill that is advocating the death penalty for gay
people will hinder the country's fight against HIV/Aids, legal experts
and activists warned this week.
Under the anti-homosexuality bill, now going through parliament,
anyone repeatedly "caught" having sex with someone of the same sex
faces the death penalty, while people who touch each other [http://
www.ipsnews.net/africa/nota.asp?idnews=49189] in a "gay way" could be
jailed.
A clause in the bill also punishes anyone who fails to report an
offence within 24 hours of witnessing or finding out about it.
This week, at a public meeting held at Makerere University in Kampala,
Rubaramira Ruranga, the executive director of the National Guidance
and Empowerment Network of people living with HIV/Aids in Uganda, who
is HIV-positive, said: "Fifteen percent of the HIV/Aids spread is as a
result of gay activities.
"The best thing is to educate them [homosexuals] because
criminalisation causes stigma, discrimination and denied knowledge on
HIV/Aids and its treatment."
Others said the bill went "overboard" and should be withdrawn,
reported the Daily Monitor [http://www.monitor.co.ug/artman/publish/
news/Homosexuality_Bill_is_extreme-_activists_94822.shtml].
Sylvia Tamale, a Law don at Makerere and a human right activist,
said: "Five of the 18 clauses are problematic from the legal point of
view and the attempt to outlaw the promotion of homosexuality will
affect everybody because the clauses introduce censorship and
undermine freedom of expression, speech, association and assembly."
The Coalition on Human Rights and Constitutional Law (CHRCL) has
already expressed its disgust at the bill, saying it is an attempt by
some in government to "to whip up sentiments of fear and hatred" by
lumping together "predatory sexual acts that violate the rights of
vulnerable sections of our society [with] sexual acts between
consenting adults".
Valentine Kalende, a spokesman for CHRCL, added that "a better title
for this bill would have been the anti-human rights bill".
Despite the outcry over the bill by local and international civil
society groups, and criticism [http://thecitizen.co.tz/newe.php?
id=15586] from other African leaders, the uproar is seen by some in
Uganda as a sign that the country is providing strong leadership.
Uganda's ethics and integrity minister, James Nsaba Buturo, told IPS
that "it is with joy we see that everyone is interested in what Uganda
is doing, and it is an opportunity for Uganda to provide leadership
where it matters most".
David Bahati, the MP who introduced the bill, defended it by saying
"homosexuality is not a human right. It is a foreign behaviour
imported and promoted by people using the poverty in our country to
expound bad behaviour".
Call for men to support their wives
Men should support their wives in using contraception and not abandon
them during pregnancy and after childbirth, Uganda's first lady, Janet
Museveni, told an international conference on family planning [http://
en.afrik.com/article16474.html] this week.
Addressing the conference in Kampala, sponsored by the Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation and expected to be attended by more than
2,000 delegates from around the world, Museveni said: ''Men should
always support their wives at all times. They should not only
participate at the time of conception, but also during pregnancies and
after giving birth.''
According to a report in New Vision [http://allafrica.com/stories/
200911161265.html], an estimated 6,000 women in Uganda die during or
after delivery each year.
Hassan Mohtashami, deputy country representative for the United
Nations Population Fund, said that most of these deaths would be
preventable if sexual and reproductive health information and services
were universally available. The paper reported that Uganda's poorest
couples have the least access to services because of a lack of
information about what's available and from an inadequate supply of
contraceptives, such as condoms.
Policymakers, researchers and health professionals from 59 countries
were expected to meet for the four-day event, which opened in Kampala
on Sunday. It is believed to be the largest conference held on family
planning [http://www.ghananewsagency.org/s_health/r_9543/] for 15
years.
Werner Haug, a United Nations Development Fund senior officer, said
63% of women in the world now used family planning methods, up from
20% in the 1960s. The use of family planning saved more than 2.7
million lives each year., he added. However, he pointed out that 200
million women in the world continue to lack access to family planning
services.
Bill Gates addressed the audience via a video message, pledging
continued support for family planning programmes as they led to a
reduction in maternal and infant mortality.
The Millennium Development Goal that focuses on improving maternal
health is farthest from its 2015 objectives.
Uganda has the highest unmet need for contraception in east Africa
[http://www.guardian.co.uk/katine/2009/oct/28/uganda-contraceptive-
use].
In Katine [www.guardian.co.uk/katine], an area of north-east Uganda
where development work is being carried out by the African Medical and
Research Foundation (Amref), funded by the Guardian and Barclays,
Amref is working with Marie Stopes International to provide a range of
services [http://www.guardian.co.uk/katine/2009/sep/01/amref-
contraception-family-planning] to villagers, including implants and
tubal ligation, that would otherwise not be available to the rural
community.
14 charged with treason
A freelance journalist is among the 14 people who were this week
committed to the high court in Uganda for trial on charges of treason.
Patrick Otim, 34, who works for a local newspaper, is among those
accused of plotting to overthrow the government and Uganda's president
Yoweri Museveni.
According to a report in the Daily Monitor [http://www.monitor.co.ug/
artman/publish/news/14_Ugandans_charged_with_treason_94793.shtml], the
accused men were part of a new rebel group that had met in Nairobi to
arrange an armed coup.
It is alleged that funding for the coup came from the diaspora, while
those from inside Uganda were responsible for recruiting participants,
working out the logistics and overseeing training.
It is claimed the group was operating in the districts of Gulu, Pader,
Kitgum, Masindi, Nebbi, Apac, Amuru and Kampala.
World Cup trophy celebrations
Some 6,000 tickets were given out for a free "fiesta" to mark the
arrival of the World Cup trophy [http://www.monitor.co.ug/artman/
publish/SSports/6_000_to_view_WC_trophy_at_Lugogo_94621.shtml] in
Kampala on Sunday.
The event was part of the trophy's 52-nation African tour ahead of
next year's World Cup tournament in South Africa.
Speaking to guests [http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/12/701280] at a
state function to unveil the cup, Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni
said: "The most important issue here isn't the cup, but what it
symbolises to kids and all Ugandans."
Museveni remarked on the popularity of football and its ability to
equip young people with life skills. "Sport and football in
particular is a very good mechanism of imparting fitness, coordination
and competition, but also general good behaviour. It brings a spirit
of competition that is not confrontational, that is not hostile."
FIFA regulations allow only heads of state and the tournament's
winners to touch the 6kg, 18-carat gold and malachite trophy. But
Ugandans did have the chance to take their photos alongside it.
After Uganda, the trophy will head to Djibouti.
Earlier this year, England's Barclays Premier League trophy was flown
over to Uganda for the Katine 09 Football tournament [http://
www.guardian.co.uk/katine/football]. The tournament involved 48 local
teams and was organised to encourage team building and provide a way
to communicate health messages to the community.
guardian.co.uk Copyright (c) Guardian News and Media Limited. 2009
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