MP Bwanika Petitions NUP for Clarification on LGBTQ+ Stance

Member of Parliament for Kimaanya-Kaboneera Dr Abed Bwanika has submitted a petition to the National Unity Platform (NUP), urging for a meeting to discuss and clarify the party’s stance on the Anti-Homosexuality law.

Addressing the petition to John Baptist Nambeshe, the party’s deputy president for Eastern Uganda, Bwanika emphasized the importance of a meeting to address the controversy surrounding the party’s position.

He cited concerns arising from an interview conducted by party president Robert Kyagulanyi with the BBC in December 2023, which created an impression that the party is supportive of LGBTQ+ rights, contrary to Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act and the Penal Code Act.

Bwanika alleged that LGBTQ+ sponsors and organizations have recently awarded Kyagulanyi in recognition of the party’s perceived advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights.

Furthermore, he pointed out changes in Kyagulanyi’s dress style, such as the adoption of bell-bottom fashion and purple colors during the BAFTA awards ceremony in London, as evidence of alignment with the LGBTQ+ community.

In his petition dated March 25, 2024, Bwanika urged for an urgent meeting of the party’s lawful organ to debate and establish a clear stance on LGBTQ+ issues.

Bwanika’s petition marks the latest development in an ongoing dispute between him and NUP, stemming from the party’s fallout with Mathias Mpuuga, the former Leader of the Opposition and MP for Nyendo-Mukungwe in Masaka.