“Nothing on planet earth is sweeter than a woman.” This revelation was made by Hon Charles Onen, the Member of Parliament for Laroo-Pece Division Gulu City in Northern Uganda.
Mr Onen is also a famous Catholic priest who served as the second curate of Holy Rosary Parish Catholic Church for eight years before he joined active politics.
“Hon Speaker when I look at you and honourable ladies in this house, there is no reason for a man to run after a man for sex,” Onen threw the House into endless laughter as he supported the anti- homosexuality bill which was passed by Parliament on Tuesday.
He stunned fellow legislators when he passionately spoke about a “woman’s sweetness.”
“Right Honourable Speaker, there is nothing so sweet for a man more than a woman. And for that reason, there should be no reason for a man to run after a man,” he concluded.
A video clip capturing his confession has gone viral on internet with a section of the public questioning how the Catholic priest learned of a woman’s taste.
The priest before joining parliament received several warnings from the Bishop of his Gulu Diocese John Baptist Odama to desist from active politics in accordance with the Canon Law but Onen reportedly ignored.
The Bishop then issued a decree of suspension ‘a divinis’ as prescribed by Canon Law 285.
Onen went into politics as an independent candidate and won the election.
Onen and other 388 legislators on Tuesday approved the anti-gay laws, making some crimes punishable by death and imposing up to 20 years in prison for people identifying as LGBTQ+.
The new legislation constitutes a further crackdown on LGBTQ+ people in a country where same-sex relations is now illegal-punishable by life imprisonment. It targets an array of activities, and includes a ban on promoting and abetting homosexuality as well as conspiracy to engage in homosexuality, Reuters reported.
According to the bill, the death penalty can be invoked for cases involving “aggravated homosexuality” – a broad term used in the legislation to describe sex acts committed without consent or under duress, against children, people with mental or physical disabilities, by a “serial offender,” or involving incest.
“A person who commits the offense of aggravated homosexuality and is liable, on conviction to suffer death,” read the amendments, which were presented by the chairperson for legal and parliamentary affairs Robina Rwakoojo.
Opposition lawmaker Asuman Basalirwa introduced the Anti Homosexuality Bill 2023 to parliament, saying it aims to “protect our church culture; the legal, religious and traditional family values of Ugandans from the acts that are likely to promote sexual promiscuity in this country.”
“The objective of the bill was to establish a comprehensive and enhanced legislation to protect traditional family values, our diverse culture, our faiths, by prohibiting any form of sexual relations between persons of the same sex and the promotion or recognition of sexual relations between persons of the same sex,” Basalirwa said on Tuesday.
