Uganda Watch: No Business Today; Bahati Talks about the Bill

Due to the death of a former MP, Uganda’s Parliament will not consider any business today. Instead, they will take the day for a memorial to former MP Atenyi Deo Zabasaija.

Yesterday, Melanie Nathan spoke to David Bahati about his anti-gay bill. You can read that interview here. Bahati again claims that there is new draft of the bill sans death penalty which he will read in Parliament soon. However, when a Ugandan asks Parliament for a copy of the bill, the 2009 version is handed out. The report may suggest the removal of hanging but this suggestion does not guarantee that the Parliament will agree to it. Also, it is possible that the language has been changed but the penalty remains — as occurred in May, 2011.

The bill might make it on the agenda tomorrow but I doubt it will be acted on because the contentious oil issues have not yet been resolved.

16 thoughts on “Uganda Watch: No Business Today; Bahati Talks about the Bill”

  1. Let us suppose that

    1. the Red Pepper article is NOT a fake, and

    2. the activity involved underaged males,

    then Penal Code 129 would deal with this situation.

    If the activity did not involve anyone underage, but was not genuinely ‘consensual’, I would recommend Penal Code 147.

    No need for Bahati.

  2. Let us suppose that

    1. the Red Pepper article is NOT a fake, and

    2. the activity involved underaged males,

    then Penal Code 129 would deal with this situation.

    If the activity did not involve anyone underage, but was not genuinely ‘consensual’, I would recommend Penal Code 147.

    No need for Bahati.

  3. Meanwhile, the Red Pepper is apparently ‘up to its tricks’ again – seemingly turning its attention to footballers. Is this a sign of ‘desperation’ on the part of the anti-gay mob? (Prime Minister Mbabazi has ‘come out’ against the Bill.)

  4. No order paper (yet).

    Let’s what happens next week … (but I think I can guess!)

  5. Meanwhile, the Red Pepper is apparently ‘up to its tricks’ again – seemingly turning its attention to footballers. Is this a sign of ‘desperation’ on the part of the anti-gay mob? (Prime Minister Mbabazi has ‘come out’ against the Bill.)

  6. No order paper (yet).

    Let’s what happens next week … (but I think I can guess!)

  7. FRIDAY 7 DECEMBER (UK time)

    Plenary session are unusual on a Friday, although Miss Kadaga could call a special sitting, especially if it seems that work on the oil bills might be able to completed this week.

    Is this possible? Well, I gather that the NRM Caucus may have agreed to support the controversial Clause 9 of the PETROLEUM (EXPLORATION, DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION) BILL, 2012. If this is indeed the case, it would effectively end debate on this aspect of the Bill; the NRM has ‘numerical control’ of the assembly, and, if ‘party discipline’ is maintained, Clause 9 goes through. (I’m not at all sure that’s the best option – might some kind quasi-autonomous regulatory body be a better bet for the UG oil industry?)

    Yesterday’s (i.e. Thursday’s) Order Paper does show the PETROLEUM (REFINING, GAS PROCESSING AND CONVERSION, TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE) BILL, 2012 as #1 on ‘Notice of Business to Follow’, with – as has already been mentioned – Bahati at #2.

    Nothing further to report on the situation re. the Rules Committee and how that might affect the forthcoming schedule.

  8. Interesting to see this in the UGANDAN press: http://www.observer.ug/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=22507:-anti-gay-campaign-fuelling-hivaids&catid=34:news&Itemid=114

    Combine the issues raised in the report with the marital infidelity issue (generally accepted to be the principle current HIV risk factor in UG), and the results are potentially explosive. ‘Gay’ and ‘straight’ sexual networks surely overlap in places like UG, given that, in homophobic settings, many gay people marry in order to disguise their sexuality. Add in possible disruption caused by the Bill to the work of NGOs and charities, and the consequential decline of key health initiatives, and one can reasonably predict a new ‘HIV disaster’ for Uganda.

    ** A vote for the Bill is a vote for HIV. **

  9. FRIDAY 7 DECEMBER (UK time)

    Plenary session are unusual on a Friday, although Miss Kadaga could call a special sitting, especially if it seems that work on the oil bills might be able to completed this week.

    Is this possible? Well, I gather that the NRM Caucus may have agreed to support the controversial Clause 9 of the PETROLEUM (EXPLORATION, DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION) BILL, 2012. If this is indeed the case, it would effectively end debate on this aspect of the Bill; the NRM has ‘numerical control’ of the assembly, and, if ‘party discipline’ is maintained, Clause 9 goes through. (I’m not at all sure that’s the best option – might some kind quasi-autonomous regulatory body be a better bet for the UG oil industry?)

    Yesterday’s (i.e. Thursday’s) Order Paper does show the PETROLEUM (REFINING, GAS PROCESSING AND CONVERSION, TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE) BILL, 2012 as #1 on ‘Notice of Business to Follow’, with – as has already been mentioned – Bahati at #2.

    Nothing further to report on the situation re. the Rules Committee and how that might affect the forthcoming schedule.

  10. Interesting to see this in the UGANDAN press: http://www.observer.ug/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=22507:-anti-gay-campaign-fuelling-hivaids&catid=34:news&Itemid=114

    Combine the issues raised in the report with the marital infidelity issue (generally accepted to be the principle current HIV risk factor in UG), and the results are potentially explosive. ‘Gay’ and ‘straight’ sexual networks surely overlap in places like UG, given that, in homophobic settings, many gay people marry in order to disguise their sexuality. Add in possible disruption caused by the Bill to the work of NGOs and charities, and the consequential decline of key health initiatives, and one can reasonably predict a new ‘HIV disaster’ for Uganda.

    ** A vote for the Bill is a vote for HIV. **

  11. THURSDAY 6 DECEMBER

    Order Paper now up (rather late).

    Bahatism slips to #2 on ‘Notice of Shenanegans to Follow’, behind the Petroleum Bill, incidicating that further discussion on the latter may be necessary.

    The ‘ministers blame Kadaga’ story seems to have ‘gone viral’ in UG.

    Not sure what’s happening about the extra time apparently requested by the Rules Committee, and how this might affect K’s KKKristmas Noose (as opposed to the Cratchets’ Christmas Goose). Am talking to … today and will report back if I find out more.

    Did Melanie ask Bahati about the state of HIS marriage, I wonder?! (She knows what I’ve heard on that!)

  12. THURSDAY 6 DECEMBER

    Order Paper now up (rather late).

    Bahatism slips to #2 on ‘Notice of Shenanegans to Follow’, behind the Petroleum Bill, incidicating that further discussion on the latter may be necessary.

    The ‘ministers blame Kadaga’ story seems to have ‘gone viral’ in UG.

    Not sure what’s happening about the extra time apparently requested by the Rules Committee, and how this might affect K’s KKKristmas Noose (as opposed to the Cratchets’ Christmas Goose). Am talking to … today and will report back if I find out more.

    Did Melanie ask Bahati about the state of HIS marriage, I wonder?! (She knows what I’ve heard on that!)

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