Uganda’s anti-gay President abolishes age limit so he can rule for life

Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, 73, has abolished an age limit of 75 on the role of President.

Museveni became President of Uganda in 1986 and has continued his hardline rule for decades, clamping down on the LGBT community.

The leader signed a law to abolish term limits on the office of President back in 2005, and this week signed  law that also ends an age limit for the role – allowing him to continue indefinitely.

Museveni signed the draconian Anti-Homosexuality Act in February 2014.

The law called for repeat offenders to be sentenced to 14 years in prison and to make it a criminal offence not to report someone for being gay.

President of Uganda Yoweri Museveni (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

Though the Act was later struck down on procedural grounds by the country’s Constitutional Court, it still remains illegal to be gay in Uganda.

Under Museveni’s rule police have actively targeted the LGBT community.

In 2017, Pride in Uganda was also cancelled amid threats of arrest and physical violence, while just last month police raided an LGBT film festival.

Ugandan police also raided the ‘Mr. & Miss Pride Uganda’ LGBT event in 2016, arresting more than 20 people were arrested including prominent Ugandan activist Frank Mugisha.

In local media, officers claimed to have received a tip-off about a gay wedding.