By Nickson Maberi
Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni seems not to be moved by the statement from world Bank withdrawing funding to Uganda due to the Anti-Homosexuality act that he recently signed.
President Museveni posted on his X (formerly twitter) account that Uganda will develop with or without loans. Museveni said he had been rang by an official from the world Bank who alerted him of the statement prior its release.
“Last night, an official from the World Bank rang me to alert me about the statement from that Bank regarding the suspension of any new requests from Uganda for loans. I want to inform everybody, starting with Ugandans, that Uganda will develop with or without loans,” he said.
Uganda currently has an external debt of about USD12.8 billion and it projected to borrow another USD 2 billion in the 2023/24 financial year to facilitate it’s deficit budget.
World Bank said in a statement issued August 8th that it will not receive any public funding requests from Uganda till a review is done to determine whether the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality act 2023 aligns with the world Bank’s agenda of poverty eradication without discrimination of sexual minorities.
According to a statement released by world Bank on August 8th, there will be no more public financing to Uganda till a review is done to ensure the new act aligns with the world Bank’s values among which is inclusivity irrespective of race, gender or sexuality.
According to the statement, the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 undermines the efforts to eradicate poverty for all, including sexual minorities.
“Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act fundamentally contradicts the World Bank Group’s values. We believe our vision to eradicate poverty on a livable planet can only succeed if it includes everyone irrespective of race, gender, or sexuality. This law undermines those efforts. Inclusion and non-discrimination sit at the heart of our work around the world,” the statement reads in part.
The World Bank had earlier deployed a team to Uganda to review its portfolio in the context of the new legislation.
The review determined additional measures are necessary to ensure projects are implemented in alignment with its environmental and social standards.
World Bank states that its goal is “to protect sexual and gender minorities from discrimination and exclusion.”
Uganda first passed the Anti-Homosexuality Act in 2013 but the law was nullified a year later due to lack of quorum at the time of its passing.
The controversial law returned to the Ugandan parliament this year and was passed with limited opposition.
Nickson Maberi
The writer is a Ugandan Journalist