Minister for Presidency Babirye Milly Babalanda has advised parents to take it upon themselves to raise children with family values. She said that marriage between a man and woman was the right thing to teach the children and does not expect anything otherwise.
Speaking in Kasawo town in Mukono District on Sunday, Babalanda lauded Joweria and Ashaf Ouma whose introduction ceremony at the home of Nabawanga Joweria’s father Hajj Twahiri Sebaggala, portrayed the couple had been properly raised with strong African values, which gave them a reason to start a family between a man and woman.
The event attracted dignitaries including Mr Kiwanda Godfrey Suubi, vice chairman of Buganda and a member of the NRM Central Executive Committee who equally castigated gay proponents. He called upon parents to pay attention to raising their children into God fearing children who respect their cultures and religious beliefs because both African culture and religious beliefs condemn gay practices.
What they said;
Speaking in Parables, Ms Babalanda wondered how a woman would opt for a fellow woman or, man desiring another man, which is against nature.
“When one wants to eat some delicious food, one finds a proper restaurant where food is served with safe sweet water to enjoy your meal,” the minister said to an applause from the crowd, “It is unimaginable that some people prefer to eat from a toilet. That is not how things work.”
Mr Godfrey Kiwanda condemned parents who pay little attention to their children and start behaving like charity organisations who provide money without giving their time to people in their homes. The former tourism minister said it was rather better that a parent sets aside time to invest in their children and family as one of the ways the country can use to instill family values among their children.
Other dignitaries who attended the giveaway ceremony for Joweria to Ashraf, included Anglican Bishop in Mukono Enos Kitto Kagodo, Members of Parliament Fred Kayondo (Mukono South) and Fred Simbwa (Nakifuma County), former MPs Johnson Muyanja Ssenyonga, Kafeero Sekitoleko, Office of the National Chairman coordinator Hajat Hadija Namyalo, Resident district commissioners; Fatuma Ndisaba Nabitaka (Mukono), her deputy Mike Ssegawa, Juma Kigongo (deputy RDC Jinja district), Patrick Mubiru aka Wa City (Buvuma), and Yahaya Were (deputy RCC Mbale City), and a host of businessmen and politicians.
Mrs Nabitaka lauded Hajj Sebaggala as a man who has raised the bar for coffee business in Mukono. She also said, Hajj Sebaggala had spearheaded unity of people of Mukono, bringing together people of different political and religious shades.
Big picture
The anti-gay law has been a hot topic in Uganda – with the Ugandan parliament recently passing an Anti-gay bill which found a lot of support in Uganda, but, widely condemned by the international community as draconian. The Bill said to target and victimise the LGBT community has made Uganda marked at an abuser of LGBT rights and could lose billions of shillings in donor money. On receiving the Bill which passed through the House with overwhelming support from members, President Museveni returned the Bill asking for a couple of amendments especially clauses seeking to punish people not found in acts of sodomy.
Uganda is experiencing a rise in a number of gay cases, as well as illnesses only associated with the gay community.
What next?
Whereas several Ugandan leaders speak with one voice against gay relationships being protected as a matter of human rights, the cutting of aid from Uganda would isolate the country and leave many government programs unfunded. All eyes on President Museveni as an experienced leader in balancing different political positions, to see if he will sign off the Bill into an Act.
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