By Editorial,
The World Bank Group has said it will pause public financing to Uganda over the country’s adoption of the Anti-Homosexuality law.
In May, President Yoweri Museveni signed into law the Anti-Homosexually Bill, criminalizing homosexual activities in the country.
In a statement issued yesterday, the World Bank said Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act ‘fundamentally” contradicts the group’s values, adding that no new public financing to Uganda will be presented to its board of executive directors until the efficacy of the additional measures has been tested.
Immediately after the law was enacted in May, the World Bank had deployed a team to Uganda to review its portfolio in the context of the new legislation.
Upon the review, World Bank says it was determined that additional measures are necessary to ensure projects are implemented in alignment with the lender’s environmental and social standards.
The US-based lender says its decision is aimed at protecting the sexual and gender minority groups against a law that has been criticized by some human rights groups and the West.
It should be noted that the World Bank has been under pressure from the U.S Congress to halt new loans for Uganda until the country drops the anti-homosexuality legislation, but Museveni insists this can’t work in Uganda. END.