On Monday, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed into law a controversial anti-homosexuality bill, which has been described as one of the harshest in the world, introducing severe measures against homosexuality.

The president’s office and the country’s parliament confirmed the enactment of the law, now known as the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023, through official statements.

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The Ugandan parliament stated on Twitter that Museveni had given his assent to a revised version of the legislation that had been approved by lawmakers earlier in the month. While the president had urged MPs to revise the bill, most of the stringent provisions that had sparked international outcry were retained.

The amended version clarified that identifying as gay would not be considered a criminal offense, but engaging in homosexual acts would be punishable by life imprisonment. Despite Museveni’s recommendation to remove the provision making “aggravated homosexuality” a capital offense, lawmakers rejected this proposal, leaving open the possibility of the death penalty for repeat offenders.

The bill faced condemnation from the United States, the European Union, and international human rights groups, but it continues to enjoy significant public support within Uganda.