Dr Joseph Sserwada, head of the Christian Born Again Faith Federation (BAFF) in Uganda, has attacked western powers, accusing them of trying to arm-twist Africa into homosexuality. Last October, British PM David Cameron threatened to withdraw aid to governments that are unwilling to reform legislation banning homosexuality.

By Priscilla Nadunga, Kampala

In a recent radio talk show, Sserwada, who appears on the show every week day, castigated the west: “It’s pathetic for a person like David Cameron to think of using aid money to seduce Africa into practising subversive acts of homosexuality. A sober leader wouldn’t have committed such an act of ignorance,” he said. He added that the aid cuts wouldn’t help improve the position of homosexuals in Uganda whatsoever.

Impact Radio boasts having over eight million listeners across Uganda, mainly born again Christians. Some people who phoned in during the show expressed solidarity with Sserwada.

Homosexuality is still a taboo in most African states. Under the current Ugandan law, homosexuality is a criminal act punishable by jail, with a maximum sentence of seven years. But lawmaker David Bahati has proposed to make homosexuality a capital offence.

"It's better to die of AIDS quickly"
Many Ugandans oppose politicians who promote homosexuality, saying that it’s against African traditions and values. Dr David Mondo, who operates a child hospital in the capital Kampala, says: “There’s no way a truly democratic government, elected by the people, can act against the people’s wishes. I see a lot of lunatics like David Cameron and Obama, who ignore the voices of their people and try to sell homosexuality abroad.”

Stephen Dalton Mwanje, a trader in Kampala, says: “It’s better to die of the HIV/AIDS virus quickly and go to heaven, than survive for a few years and burn in hell eternally. God completely obliterated the cities of Gomorrah and Sodom because of homosexuality, so Ugandans must not crumble to this useless pressure.”