Speaker of Parliament Anita Among has said Uganda’s decision to pass the Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2023 may have attracted international backlash, but has instead strengthened unity and cultural confidence within the country.
Among said despite being sanctioned by both the United States and the United Kingdom, she remains proud of leading Parliament in passing the law, which she described as a reflection of Africa’s values and sovereignty.
She made the remarks on Wednesday, February 12, 2026, while meeting a delegation of lawmakers from Ghana’s Parliament, led by Second Deputy Speaker Andrew Asiamah Amoako, at Parliament in Kampala.
“The detractors that are out there will not want us to preserve our cultures and our values,” Among told the visiting delegation.
“For instance, the issue of Uganda — we tried our best and we will do our best. We had a scenario where we passed the Anti-Homosexuality law. I was sanctioned, I am still sanctioned, but I am still alive and proud of what I did.”
Among said although the law angered Western governments, it earned Parliament respect and trust from Ugandans.
“For us, we have already passed the law, which has created a lot of enemies from outside, but internally, we are at peace,” she said.
“And we can proudly say in the Parliament of Uganda, we did legislation and passed the Anti-Homosexuality Act which is in place now. We stopped the promotion and recruitment in schools and everywhere of homosexuals, lesbians and all those things — LGBTQ, those ones.”
She linked the law to what she described as overwhelming domestic political support for President Museveni.
“No wonder our President even got the highest percentage this time. Because the people said, ‘We are voting for President Museveni because he believes in African values and cultures. He does not believe in homosexuality,’” Among said.
The Speaker used the meeting to urge African legislatures to resist external pressure and pass laws rooted in their own traditions.
“We call upon African leaders to enact laws that preserve African values and cultures in order to promote home-grown solutions and strengthen the continent’s sovereignty,” she said.
The Anti-Homosexuality Act has drawn widespread criticism from Western governments and international rights groups, leading to sanctions against some Ugandan officials, including Among.
However, the Speaker insists that Uganda’s stance reflects the will of its people and the need for Africa to defend its cultural identity against foreign influence.
