Uganda says US sanctions regrettable

Lead;

Uganda says the move by the United States government to discontinue funding to certain programs in Ugandan is unfortunate.

The U.S. is imposing visa bans on Ugandan officials who are involved in corruption and are violating the rights of gay people.

Michael Baleke reports from Uganda's capital Kampala;

IN: "Uganda has started feeling"

OUT: SOC

DURATION: 1min 58secs


GENERIC: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0620antigaylaw-mb-generic.mp3

Script;

VO 1: Uganda has started feeling the international backlash of enacting its anti gay law. Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kuteesa says cutting funding will harm its most vulnerable people.

SOT; Sam Kuteesa - Uganda’s Foreign Minister - “Well i think the step taken is regrettable but we have more areas in which we have cooperation with the United States and these remain in place and we think that our difference will be sorted out”

VO 2: Cuts to programs target the Ugandan Police and the health Ministry……and the US is also canceling a US military aviation exercise in Uganda.

Sanctions targeting anyone involved in drafting anti-gay laws ban them from entering the US - a move that human rights lawyer - Nicholas Opiyo says Uganda can't ignore.

SOT; Nicholas Opiyo - Political Analyst - “Would health service providers become criminally liable….. to merely by providing health serves to people who are homosexuals, those are questions we must address, would lawyers providing legal services, counsellors providing counseling, landlords who are providing houses for accommodation for organizations and individuals working on issues of LGBT be considered to be promoting LGBT, these are issues we must address.

VO 3: Uganda passed a law in February that strengthened criminal penalties for gay sex and made life sentences possible for those convicted of breaking the law

While Uganda is under international pressure over its anti-gay stance - human rights lawyer Nicholas Opio says it's facing domestic calls to revoke the legislation as well.

SOT; Nicholas Opiyo - Political Analyst - “This rhetoric about Uganda not caring is in my view a simple posturing, we depend on donor money, we need donor money to keep running basic services for this country”.

VO 4: The Obama administration is yet to identify the individuals barred from the U.S.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni insists his administration can do without foreign aid.

Am Michael Baleke in Kampala.