World Bank, USAID aid billions for Uganda jeopardized by anti-gay law

The World Bank and USAID will review their work in Uganda, adding their voices to growing outrage over Uganda’s anti-gay bill, which could jeopardize billions of dollars in funding the two institutions spend in the East African country.

Uganda’s longtime leader, President Yoweri Museveni, on Friday signed into law a bill that could lead to the death penalty for people found guilty of "aggravated homosexuality," defined as same-sex acts involving people living with HIV or minors, among others.

“We are reviewing our portfolio of projects and next steps,” outgoing World Bank President David Malpass told Devex in an exclusive interview. The new law is an “affront to the values of the World Bank.”

About the authors

  • Omar Mohammed

    Omar Mohammed

    Omar Mohammed is a Foreign Aid Business Reporter based in New York. Prior to joining Devex, he was a Knight-Bagehot fellow in business and economics reporting at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He has nearly a decade of experience as a journalist and he previously covered companies and the economies of East Africa for Reuters, Bloomberg, and Quartz.
  • Shabtai Gold

    Shabtai Gold

    Shabtai Gold is a Senior Reporter based in Washington. He covers multilateral development banks, with a focus on the World Bank, along with trends in development finance. Prior to Devex, he worked for the German Press Agency, dpa, for more than a decade, with stints in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, before relocating to Washington to cover politics and business.