Current Affairs

Anti-gay Ugandan President in London for investment summit

Oct 20 2014
Written by Nick Duffy

Uganda’s anti-gay President Yoweri Museveni is in London today for an investment summit.

The African leader – who oversaw the introduction of the country’s Anti-Homosexuality Act before it was struck down by a court – is attending the Global African Investment Summit.

The event is taking place today and tomorrow at the Savoy Hotel, with the Presidents of Tanzania, Ghana and Rwanda all also attending.

President Museveni posted: “[I am] with Presidents Paul Kagame, John Dramani Mahama and Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda at the Global Africa Investment Summit in London.

“I informed the summit that Consumers and entrepreneurs are the two kings for business to thrive.

“Africa has consumers therefore is the ideal place to do business.”

Tickets – which sold out last week – didn’t come cheap, with a delegate place to the event costing a steep £2,495.

The event is sponsored by Visa, Sepco, Prudential, Standard Chartered, PwC, and law firm Baker & McKenzie, among others.

The homophobic Speaker of the Ugandan Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, was due to speak at another investment forum in London last month, but was dropped from the event after pressure from gay rights campaigners.

President Museveni, who has backed attempts to put another anti-gay law in place, recently warned: “We want to protect our children from homosexuality, but we do not want to kill our trade opportunities.”

His comments are a u-turn from when he proclaimed in March: “We don’t need aid in the first place, Uganda is one of the richest countries on Earth!”

He added there were “more terrible things” than homosexuality in the West – like oral sex.

He said: “Oral sex! The mouth is for eating, it’s not for that purpose.”