Africa: Frank Mugisha Celebrate As Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Bill Annuled

by Benson Agoha

Frank Mugisha, the out-spoken Ugandan gay rights activists, has become the hero icon of today's ruling in which Uganda's Constitutional Court declared February's anti-gay legislation illegal.

* Hero of Constitutional Court Decision, Uganda's outspoken
anti-gay activist Dr. Frank Mugisha: Photo Credit: FM

A panel of five Constitutional Lawyers shot down the legislation after it said there was no quorum in parliament on the day of the vote, and the vote went ahead, even though the Speaker of the House, Rebecca Kadaga was warned by three people including Premier Amama Mbabazi, but she ignored them. The judges said the issue was that of procedure and not substance.

Revealing the judgement on Twitter, Mugisha said a "panel of 5 Constitutional Court judges have nullified the anti-homosexuality bill that President Museveni signed into law in February this year."

Uganda's gay legislation was signed into law on Monday February 24, 2014, after changes that commuted capital punishment to imprisonment, largely seen to have been the product of Western pressure.

At the signing, the Ugandan President had said he could not imagine that any man would prefer a fellow man to a woman, and that Africans had been, for a long time, disappointed by some Western behaviours.

"Even now I have not fully understood it, that you will fail to be attracted to all these beautiful women here and elsewhere, and be attracted by a man. That is a very serious matter and means there is something wrong with you," he had said before appending his signature.

After the judgement was revealed, the activist became the trend on Twitter and  global acclaim for his tenacity followed.

It is too early to say what Uganda's  government will do about the ruling in the coming days but analysists believe that despite the ruling, a lot of work remain ahead for the country's gay community.

There has been huge arguments in Uganda whether conditional foreign aid from Western Countries should be continue to dictate pathways to the country.

Before signing the law in February, President Museveni had criticized Western donors who gave money to NGO's that do nothing. He had said Ugandans would not condone all of Western behaviours just for "financial support given to NGO's who actually do nothing."

The Constitutional Court's judgement in Kampala, was unanimous by the five judges, which included the Acting Deputy Chief Justice Steven Kavuma, Justices Augustine, Eldad Mwangusya, Solomy Balungi Bossa and Rubby Aweri Opio.

There has been no immediate reaction from the government and what the President Museveni will do next is, for now, a matter for public speculation. But he is due in Washington next week for the US-Africa summit, all eyes and ears will likely be on him for a clue.

See also [UGANDA: Britain, America React To Uganda's New Anti-Homosexuality Law].