20091221

KAMPALA (Reuters) - As Ugandan MPs debate anti-gay legislation and world Christian leaders weigh in, the gay community in Kampala awaits a bill it says will only formalise the persecution it feels every day.

"I have been arrested by police a number of times, often on flimsy charges just because of my homosexual lifestyle," said David Kato, who lives as an openly gay man in Kampala.

"The prospect of living under this law is scary. Certainly all my life and plans will be ruined because once it's passed I will immediately have to flee the country," Kato said. "Obviously if I don't I will be arrested and imprisoned."

While Uganda has become a favourite of western governments for its reforms and economic growth since 1986, rights groups have criticised President Yoweri Museveni for cracking down on opposition, media and civil society.

The president has been quoted in local media saying homosexuality is a Western import, joining continental religious leaders who believe it is un-African.

The draft Anti-Homosexuality Bill is part of a growing campaign against gays in Uganda, rights groups say. Critics say the aim is to divert attention from corruption and other political issues ahead of the 2011 national vote.

But the bill's author, ruling party member David Bahati, says the legislation promotes family values. "Homosexuality is not part of the human rights we believe in," he said.