The Parliament of Uganda has described the recent sanctions by the United Kingdom on Ugandan politicians specifically the Speaker, Anita Annet Among, as witch hunt for her stance on homosexuality.
The UK Government on Tuesday imposed sanctions against Among and two former Ministers of Karamoja, Mary Goretti Kitutu and Agnes Nandutu, for “stealing from the poorest communities in Uganda.”
The sanctions announced by Deputy Foreign Secretary Andrew Mitchell were issued under the Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions.
The three individuals, will be subject to travel bans and asset freezes.
In response, Parliament said the iron sheets were usee as a ruse to conceal the real, unstated but clearly obvious reason for the sanctions “which is the Speaker’s stance on the recently enacted Anti-Homosexuality Act.”
Parliament further noted thar the claims are false because Among has never been charged with corruption in any courts of law, contrary to the insinuation in the statement.
“The truth is that the iron sheets were in fact distributed to public schools, and Mr Andrew Micthell who was vocal in condemning the Rt. Hon Speaker Among for enacting the Anti-Homosexuality Act did not, in his statement, indicate how exactly the Rt. Hon Speaker derived personal benefit from them,” read the statement issued by Parliament’s Director for Communication and Public Affairs.
He called on foreign partners, including the United Kingdom to respect the sovereignty of Uganda, “and avoid the temptation to meddle into our local politics, including arm-twisting decision makers to align with their value system, especially on homosexuality.”