OPPOSITION LEADER COULD END GAY PERSECUTION

Uganda’s main opposition leader has suggested that he could decriminalise homosexuality if he is elected as president.

Kizza Besigye is standing against President Yoweri Museveni for the third time in upcoming elections in February.

Speaking at a public meeting on Monday, Besigye said that homosexuality is “…something that is done in the privacy of people’s rooms, between consenting adults”.

He added that the police should be focused on more important matters rather than investigating gays and lesbians and that the issue had “generated far too much excitement”.

Besigye heads up a four party coalition opposition group but stressed that he was speaking in his personal capacity.

The pending Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which would impose the death penalty in certain cases of homosexuality, was introduced into the Ugandan Parliament by a member of President Museveni’s party.

Homosexuality is already illegal in Uganda and existing penalties for gay sex include life imprisonment.