The sexual offences bill that has been taken off the floor of Parliament for revision was recently the subject of discussion on Kuchu Times’ talk show The View. The bill in its current state has grave effects on sexual and gender minorities, sex workers and other key populations.
The Sexual Offences Bill of 11th December 2015 was tabled in Parliament on 14th April 2016 as a Private Member‟s Bill by Monicah Amoding the then National Female Youth MP, and now MP Kumi Municipality under the umbrella of the Uganda Women‟s Parliamentary Association (UWOPA).
The Object of the Sexual Offences Bill is to consolidate and amend the law related to sexual offences from various enactments, and to provide for procedural and evidential requirements during the trial of sexual offences; To establish the Sexual Offenders Data Bank; To repeal provisions under Part XIV of the Penal Code Act and for other related matters.
The Bill is divided into five parts; The preliminary section which provides interpretation of some of the terms used in the Bill; Part II which provides for sexual offences in general covering offences from rape, unnatural offences, prostitution to incest; Part III provides for sexual offences against children including defilement, child to child sex and child pornography; Part IV provides for special powers of the court and jurisdiction which include powers to award compensation, holding proceedings in camera and the creation of a sexual offences database; and Part V provides for miscellaneous provisions which include provision for extra-territorial jurisdiction, regulations and saving of laws.
The Sexual Offenses Bill is not the first attempt at enacting a Sexual Offences Act for Uganda. The first efforts were spearheaded by the Government of Uganda starting in 2000 with the Sexual Offences (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill, 2000. In 2011, the Sexual Offences Bill, 2011 was gazetted and later tabled before Parliament in 2012 as the Sexual Offences Bill, 2012.
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