Even though President Yoweri Museveni has agreed to sign the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, latest information indicates that he wants further scientific evidence in respect to homosexual behaviour before he finally assents to the Bill.

“I declared my intention to sign the Bill, which I will do. I have now received their signatures [of scientists] who say there is no single gene that has been traced to cause homosexuality. What I want them to clarify is whether a combination of genes can cause anybody to be homosexual. Then my task will be finished and I will sign the Bill,” Museveni said in a response letter dated February 18 to US President Barack Obama.

Museveni surprised critics and friends when he told NRM legislators attending their party retreat in Kyankwanzi mid this month that he would assent to the Bill. His decision attracted an immediate rejoinder from Washington, with President Obama warning that the anti-gay law would complicate Uganda-US relations.

READ: Museveni bows to local political pressure over anti-gay bill

“The Anti-Homosexuality Bill in Uganda, once law, will be more than an affront and a danger to the gay community in Uganda. It will be a step backward for all Ugandans and reflect poorly on Uganda’s commitment to protecting the human rights of its people.

“As we have conveyed to President Museveni, enacting this legislation will complicate our valued relationship with Uganda,” reads Obama’s message.

READ: Obama warns Museveni on anti-gays Bill

Museveni however will not relent, saying that countries should relate on the basis of mutual respect and independence of decision making rather than one society being subservient to another.

He argued that there are practices in societies in Western countries that Ugandans frown upon but do not interfere with them. He invited US scientists to work with Ugandan scientists to establish the “mystery of homosexuality.”

“Exhibition of homosexual behaviour must be punished because in this part of the world, it is forbidden to publicly exhibit any sexual conduct [kissing etc.] even for heterosexuals. If I kissed my wife of 41 years in public I would lose an election in Uganda,” Museveni said.

The Constitution requires that the president assents to or returns the Bill to parliament with amendments for consideration, or writes to the Speaker notifying her of his refusal to assent to the Bill within 30 days from the date of passing the Bill. Parliament passed the Bill on December 20.

Museveni’s strong stance has attracted overwhelming public support. That was a welcome relief for Museveni who went into his party caucus two weeks ago besieged by potentially damaging internal divisions and a standoff with western donors who still fund 24 per cent of his budget, over the proposed law.

With the country solidly behind him, Museveni who had held back since December 20, 2013 when parliament passed the Bill, felt confident to face off with Western donors.

“In foreign policy, it is more of their interests than our interests. So Museveni is going to wash his hands and say that I tried to convince these people but they refused,” said Ndebeesa Mwambutsya, a lecture at History and Development Studies Department of Makerere University.