Washington, US: The World Bank has announced that it would halt new loans to the Ugandan government. The statement came following the country enacted an anti-LGBTQ law.
“Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act fundamentally contradicts the World Bank Group’s values. We believe our vision to eradicate poverty on a livable planet can only succeed if it includes everyone, irrespective of race, gender, or sexuality. This law undermines those efforts. Inclusion and non-discrimination sit at the heart of our work around the world,” World Bank said in a statement.
The World Bank sent a team to Uganda just after the law was enacted to review the new legislation to determine whether “additional measures are necessary to ensure projects are implemented in alignment with the Bank’s environmental and social standards.” According to the World Bank, its goal is to protect sexual and gender minorities from discrimination and exclusion in the projects they finance.
Uganda’s President, Mr. Yoweri Museveni, signed one of the world’s toughest anti-LGBTQ laws, including the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality”, drawing Western condemnation and risking sanctions from aid donors in May 2023. Many countries condemned this harsh law.
The World Bank Group remarked in May that the law was not consistent with the lender’s values and that it was highly concerned about its adoption.
No new public financing to Uganda will be presented to our Board of Executive Directors until the efficacy of the additional measures has been tested.
The Bank stated.
The Bank also added that it “has a longstanding and productive relationship with Uganda” and is “committed to helping all Ugandans without exception escape poverty, access vital services, and improve their lives.”