Uganda set to pass anti-gay bill, appease donors

By Jack Kimball

KAMPALA (Reuters) - Uganda is likely to pass a bill criminalising homosexuality in the east African nation and deal a blow to rights activists, but the act will have some changes to appease donors who fund about a third of the budget.

While Uganda has been lauded for its reforms and economic growth since 1986, rights groups and some donors have criticised President Yoweri Museveni's government for increasingly cracking down on opposition, media and civil society.

Donor influence is seen waning as the country moves join the league of oil producers, and Western nations -- which have largely criticised the anti-gay bill -- may be unwilling to fight the act ahead of a 2011 poll.

"Many donors think with oil coming, the window of opportunity to support change is being closed very quickly," said Daniel Kalinaki, managing editor of the independent Daily Monitor newspaper. "The bigger picture is Museveni trying to whittle down donor influence."

The draft Anti-Homosexuality Bill is part of a growing campaign against homosexuals in Uganda, rights groups say. Critics say the aim is to divert attention from corruption and other political issues ahead of the 2011 national vote.

But the bill's author, lawmaker David Bahati, says the legislation is about promoting family values. "Homosexuality is not part of the human rights we believe in," he said.

Activists and political observers expect the private members' bill, which proscribes the death penalty for "serial offenders" and is still in the committee stage, to pass with little opposition and some minor changes.

Likely changes may include modifying the death penalty to life imprisonment, altering clauses nullifying international treaties, conventions and protocols that contradict the act, and removing a section about extradition.