The United States has recently made headlines by revoking the visa of Uganda’s Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among.

This action comes in response to Uganda’s controversial anti-LGBTQ legislation, and Among is being considered the first victim of likely sanctions.

Asuman Basalirwa, a lawmaker who spearheaded the bill, expressed his thoughts on the situation, stating, “The speaker’s current visa has been cancelled, and this has been confirmed in an email.”

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President Museveni of Uganda, despite facing pressure from the West and human rights groups, had previously disregarded calls to sign the anti-gay bill into law. Basalirwa added, “The US government has revoked your (Among) current visa based on information that became available after your last issuance.”

He displayed a printed copy of the email to journalists at parliament, emphasizing that as of May 12, 2021, Among no longer possesses a valid visa to the US. However, Basalirwa mentioned that she is welcome to reapply.

Basalirwa further explained that the Speaker has been advised to submit her passport to the US embassy through the Ministry of Finance for the necessary modifications to her visa. Reflecting on the situation, the Bugiri Municipality MP observed, “I believe they were searching for my visa for the US, but they couldn’t find it. Therefore, the speaker has become the first victim.”