UGANDA’S PRESIDENT URGES YOUTH TO REJECT HOMOSEXUALITY

Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has urged his country’s youth to reject the advances of “European homosexuals”, reports The Daily Monitor.

“I hear European homosexuals are recruiting in Africa,” Museveni said while speaking at a ceremony to recognise young achievers on Saturday in Kampala.

“You should discourage your colleagues [involved in homosexuality] because God was not foolish to do the way he arranged. Mr and Mrs, but now you have to say Mr and Mr? What is that now?” said Museveni.

“We used to have very few homosexuals traditionally. They were not persecuted but were not encouraged either because it was clear that is not how God arranged things to be.”

The comments come in the midst of international outrage over a proposed bill being heard by Uganda’s parliament that would retain the current life sentence for homosexuality, would impose the death penalty for those who have gay sex with disabled, HIV positive or under age people and would ban any expression of support for gays and lesbians.

Museveni has a history of making homophobic statements. In July last year the President lauded his country-men and women for rejecting homosexuality which, he claimed, emanates from “negative foreign cultures”.