The Constitutional Court in Uganda has upheld the country’s controversial anti-homosexuality law, which imposes life imprisonment and the death penalty on those involved in certain same-sex acts.
However, the court weakened the legislation as parts of it violated constitutional rights.
Africa Today News, New York reports that sections that criminalize behaviour such as allowing gay sex to happen at one’s property, failing to report acts of homosexuality and giving someone a terminal illness through gay sex are to be struck.
“We decline to nullify the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 in its entirety, neither will we grant a permanent injunction against its enforcement,” lead judge Richard Buteera said during the ruling on Wednesday.
The petitioners say they will appeal against the ruling.
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The petition to overturn the law was brought by a collective of Ugandan academics, human rights activists, lawyers, journalists, legislators and religious leaders.
They argued that the law violates fundamental rights provided in the constitution, such as the right to privacy and freedom from discrimination.
They added that the law breached the country’s commitments under international human rights laws.
Despite such concerns, the law has enjoyed broad support in the country. Lawmakers have accused opponents in the West of trying to pressure Africa into accepting homosexuality.
Renowned for its conservative ideals and primarily Christian demographics, Uganda, located in East Africa, has become infamous for its lack of tolerance towards homosexuality.
It has resisted pressure from rights organisations, the United Nations and foreign governments to repeal the law.
The United States, which threatened to cut aid and investment to Kampala, imposed visa bans on unnamed officials in December for abusing human rights, including those of the LGBTQ community.
The World Bank announced in August it was suspending new loans to Uganda over the law, which “fundamentally contradicts” the values espoused by the international institution.