US revokes visa of Uganda's Parliament Speaker over anti-homosexuality law

Kampala. The US has revoked the visas of Uganda’s Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, with lawmaker Asuman Basalirwa saying she is the first victim of likely sanctions after the East African nation lawed an anti-LGBTQ legislation.

“The speaker’s current visas have been cancelled and this is confirmed in an email,” Basalirwa who moved the Bill said.

Quoting the said email shortly after it became known that President Museveni brushed aside pressure from the West and rights groups to sign the anti-gay Bill into law, Basalirwa added that:

“The US government has revoked your (Among) current visas on information that came available after your last issuance,” he said as he displayed a printout of the apparent mail to journalists at Parliament.

“As of May 12, 2023, you (Among) don’t possess a valid visa to the US although you are welcome to apply again,” he said as he displayed a printout of the mail to journalists at parliament.

According to Basalirwa, the speaker has been encouraged to forward her passport to the US Embassy through the ministry of finance for necessary modifications to her visas.

“I think they were looking for my visa for the US but they didn’t find it. So, the first victim is the speaker,” the Bugiri Municipality MP observed.

Under the new legislation, those who perform homosexuality face extreme penalties that may include life imprisonment.

Early Monday, Among had made clear that “Parliament shall always stand for and promote the interests of the people of Uganda.”

“I now encourage the duty bearers under the law to execute the mandate bestowed upon them in the Anti-Homosexuality Act. The people of Uganda have spoken, and it is your duty now to enforce the law in a fair, steadfast, and firm manner,” she wrote on Twitter.

By press time, the US Mission was not available to comment on the developments.