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CFE Statement : World Bank’s “Mitigation Measures” Enable Discrimination, Undermine Rights

Uganda: World Bank’s “Mitigation Measures” Enable Discrimination, Undermine Rights

Uganda Civic Actors Condemn Deeply Inadequate Response to Anti-Homosexuality Act

(Kampala, Uganda June 23, 2025) The recent decision by the World Bank to resume lending to Uganda after a two year pause in the wake of the enactment of the Anti-Homosexuality Act is a deeply troubling development, said the Convening for Equality (CFE) today. The Bank’s reliance on so-called “mitigation measures” to attempt to avoid direct support for discrimination is an inadequate and ethically flawed approach that fails to hold the Ugandan government accountable.

The World Bank’s move sets a treacherous precedent in which egregious human rights violations, including state-sanctioned persecution and violence against LGBTQ people are met not with accountability but with tacit World Bank acceptance,” said Clare Byarugaba, co-convener of the Convening for Equality. “Mitigation measures do not protect us from arrest, harassment, or violence. They simply allow the World Bank to look the other way.”



Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act, signed into law in May 2023, is one of the most repressive anti-LGBTQ+ legislations in the world. It criminalizes same-sex conduct and introduces severe penalties, including life imprisonment for some consensual sex acts. It also criminalizes “promotion of homosexuality,” meaning any individual or organization, providing healthcare and other services to LGBTIQ+ individuals could face revocation of operating permits and possible arrest and prosecution of their staff for the crime of “promotion of homosexuality.” Potentially, anyone who affirms the inherent human rights of LGBTIQ+ people could face a 20-year prison sentence for “promotion.”

This law not only targets individuals based on their sexual orientation but also instills fear, promotes witch-hunts, and erodes basic human rights for all Ugandans. It institutionalizes hate and codifies discrimination into national law, violating multiple international human rights agreements to which Uganda is a party. Activists and scholars are currently challenging the constitutionality of the law before Uganda’s Supreme Court. The case remains pending.

When the Bank paused lending to Uganda in 2023 after the law’s passage, it sent a clear message that discriminatory policies would have consequences and that sound economic development includes social inclusion. That move aligned with the Bank’s Environmental and Social Framework, which prohibits discrimination and mandates inclusion as a condition of lending. Now, in a sharp reversal, the World Bank resumed lending in early June 2025, while justifying the move by implementing “mitigation measures” to try to ensure projects do not directly support discriminatory practices.

This reversal jeopardizes the safety and rights of already vulnerable LGBTQ+ Ugandans by appearing to legitimize Uganda’s state sanctioned violence against them. The World Bank now provides resources and validation to a government actively engaged in persecuting a segment of its own population.

While the World Bank may argue that development finance can be structured in ways that avoid direct support for discriminatory practices, money is fungible,” said Pepe Onziema, co-coordinator of CFE’s Strategic Response Team. “Lending to a state strengthens that state’s overall capacity. It allows the government to allocate domestic resources toward repression while using World Bank funds for development, thereby insulating its broader budget from pressure. As the 2026 elections loom, this is a terrifying reality for all Ugandans.”

The World Bank’s capitulation to resuming lending potentially emboldens the government to entrench discriminatory policies and replicate them in other domains. Ultimately, resuming financial support to Uganda in the face of its Anti-Homosexuality Act is a betrayal of the World Bank’s mission to reduce poverty and build shared prosperity. No development can be sustainable or equitable if it excludes, punishes, or erases the rights of an entire group of people. The World Bank should uphold the principle that human rights are not optional—and that economic assistance should never come at the cost of dignity, safety, or justice.

For more information;

Frank Mugisha, Sexual Minorities Uganda: [email protected]

Clare Byarugaba, Chapter Four Uganda: [email protected]

Pepe Onziema, Strategic Response Team: [email protected]