‘Kill the gays’ bill dumped

Ugandan television has reported that the Ugandan Government has dumped the country’s controversial anti-homosexuality bill which had been due to be debated by May 12.

The bill sought to punish sex between people of the same sex with the death penalty for repeat offenders and people with HIV.

A parliamentary committee found that most of the things covered by the bill were already outlawed in existing legislation. However, they found “useful provisions” from the bill could be incorporated into the country’s existing Sexual Offences Act. At this stage it is unknown what that would entail.

The bill’s author, David Bahati (pictured), was re-elected unopposed at this year’s Ugandan general elections. But another champion of the bill, Uganda’s ethics and integrity minister, James Nsaba Buturo, was disendorsed by his party and failed to retain his seat as an independent.