President Yoweri Museveni has called on African nations to lead in rejecting the promotion of homosexuality, describing the vice as a big threat and danger to the procreation of human race.
“Africa should provide the lead to save the world from this degeneration and decadence which is really very dangerous for humanity. If people of opposite sex stop appreciating one another then how will the human race be propagated?”he asked.
President Museveni made these observations yesterday while interfacing with a delegation of Members of Parliament from over 22 African countries and the United Kingdom who had converged in Entebbe for a 2-day First ever Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family Values and Sovereignty that ran under the theme ‘Protecting African Culture and Family Values’.
The delegation was led to State House Entebbe by Hon. Sarah Opendi, the Tororo Woman MP and Chairperson of the Conference and also the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Forum on Family. They called on President Museveni to thank him for his firm stand against homosexuality and to bring to his attention some of the African-Caribbean and Pacific – ACP/EU agreements that pose a threat and danger to the sovereignty of the Member States of the ACP.
The Conference was also attended by experts who enlightened participants on the causes of homosexuality and possible remedies to the vice.
President Museveni noted that initially the practice that was thought to be a deviation from the normal is more dangerous than drugs. He therefore sought the identification of the focal point of homosexuality as it is neither genetic nor hormonal.
Dr. Wahome Ngare, a Senior Consultant and Chairman- Kenya Catholic Doctors’ Association clarified on the root causes of homosexuality.
“So broken families create homosexuals, they are children who are broken. They are not genetic or hormonal but psychological,” Dr. Wahome explained.
Dr. Wahome further in his submission pointed out that this lifestyle is naturally sterile;it leads to increased demand in medical services and it is not scientific. He further observed that homosexuality is not natural, it is not consistent with nature and culture as well as faith.
“In fact same sex unions and same sexual acts are anti-life, anti-family and anti-humanity. It should be banned in total,” he stressed.
One of the researchers on the subject, Ms. Sharon Slatter- the President of the Watch International and the Chairperson of United Nations Family Caucus also cited some of the root causes of the practice as an abusive father who at times is never at home for the child, overprotective mothers, ponography addiction, sexual abuse or children who were bullied and felt marginalized. She added that most of the children in these categories develop same sex attraction.
President Museveni was glad to learn from Ms. Slatter that victims could be provided with some therapy and be rehabilitated like one victim who was deeply involved in homosexuality but was reformed and helped over 1000 other victims as well in their rehabilitation.
“That means Homosexuality is reversible and curable. But it should not be preserved or propagated it should be confined…” he said.
The President who praised the Ugandan Parliament for passing the bill vowed never to allow the promotion and publicization of homosexuality in Uganda, stressing that it will never be tolerated.
“ If I kissed Janet in public, I will not win elections in Uganda. It shouldn’t even be done in the sitting room because children are there. Now here you are I am a homosexual, what are you trying to show?” He wondered.
Ms. Slatter however warned of some actors from the UN who are busy moving around the world advocating against the establishment of rehabilitation centers for the victims of homosexuality.
“They go around the world saying the right of Conversion Therapy should be preserved and should be declared illegal,” she warned.
President Museveni at the same interface with African MPs thanked Hon. Asheme Songwe, MP and leader of the Malawi delegation to the ACP/EU in Brussels for bringing to his attention articles contained in the ACP/EU new draft agreement that pose a lot of challenges and are a threat to the sovereignty of the Member States and also to the Values of Family, Religious and Traditional Cultures.
” We appeal to you to be the Ambassador in Chief across Africa, to sensitize each and every Head of State of the dangers of the post Cotonou agreement. For example Article 88, in the new agreement creates a super council of Ministers from ACP/EU who have powers to come up with the binding decisions which will override the various original agreements in our respective groupings like the ECOWAS,SADC and the EAC. Article 46.3 and 40 are advancing issues dealing with sexual gender orientation identity a matter that has been well explained by Dr. Wahome. Yes, we are poor but warn fellow Excellencies not to sign. By signing we are putting the future of our children at a great risk. We are excited with what is happening in Uganda,” he said.
“ Now I am immunized. I thank the MP from Malawi for alerting me not to sign the ACP/EU agreement. Now I am immunized against the ACP/EU agreement,” the President said.
President Museveni however appealed to friends from the Western Political circles whom he assured of not having any enmity with them, to stop giving lectures to Africans and wasting their time because they will not succeed as colonialism was defeated from the onset of Organization of African Union (OAU) in Addis Ababa in 1963.
President Museveni further assured Ms. Slatter that there will be no comprehensive sexuality education in Uganda, citing the Biblical phrase in the book of Ecclesiastics that points out that ‘there is time for everything’.
“ Now children are children. They need to grow as children. How can you invade their childhood and start teaching them about adulthood? he asked, calling Dr. Wahome to shed more light on the issue.
“The part of the brain that makes them reason and make good decisions does not mature until 20 years of age. Therefore if you come out to teach a child to make good sexual decisions, It is not possible. That is why we have the age of 18 as a cut off for what children can be allowed to do without parental guidance. Therefore, the child doesn’t have to be exposed to sexual matters until the inclination starts naturally,” Dr. Wahome explained.
President Museveni also told his guests that the moment he receives the bill he will convene a meeting with the Ugandan MPs to harmonize on it and see how best to protect the children from homosexuality.
Hon. Kaluma Peter, MP from Kenya praised President Museveni and the Parliament of Uganda for doing what they did as it is now an inspiration to other Houses on the continent to follow suit, adding that Africa is faced with a bigger problem than slavery or colonialism.
“A person proposing that there should be same sex marriages or same sex relationships is a person seeking to wipe out the entire humanity out of the face of this earth. So we are very- very happy to see you being firm on this. You give value to our sovereignty as Independent States in Africa. You have stood in the gap for Africa. We came to express our gratitude, respect and salutations to you Your Excellency. So many African States are now coming up with similar Laws-Kenya is drafting the family protection Law, Ghana and Malawi and many others,” he disclosed.
Hon. Sarah Opendi the leader of the delegation assured President Museveni that the bill recently passed by Parliament has some clauses that propose the establishment of rehabilitation centers for the victims of homosexuality.
“Children could have been lured into this act innocently,” she added.
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