World Bank assistance for Uganda will restart following a stoppage due to the anti-LGBT bill

The World Bank said on Thursday that it would start giving money to Uganda again. This comes almost two years after the global lender stopped giving money to the country because of an anti-LGBT law that has harsh penalties, such as death or life in jail.

In August 2023, after Uganda’s government passed the Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA), the bank stopped sending money to the East African country, saying that the law went against its values.

A World Bank spokesperson told Reuters by email that the bank had worked with Ugandan officials to put in place strong steps to protect against possible harm from the law.

The spokesperson, who did not want to be named, said, “We have now decided that the mitigation measures put in place over the last few months in all major projects in Uganda are satisfactory.”

“Consequently, the Bank has prepared three new projects in sectors with significant development needs – social protection, education, and forced displacement/refugees – which have been approved by the Board.”

One of Uganda’s main sources of foreign aid is the World Bank. This aid is mostly used to build up infrastructure in the transportation sector.

People who have what the AHA calls “aggravated homosexuality” can be put to death. This includes having same-sex contact with a disabled person or when gay sex causes a victim to get a terminal illness.

For “promoting” homosexuality, it also calls for a 20-year term.