The Ugandan prime minister's website was attacked by hackers1 on Tuesday and Wednesday.
乌干达总理的官方网站在周二和周三被黑客攻击。
Screen grabs showing the website with messages from gay
activists2 are being circulated on social media sites.
In one, the prime minister apologises to all homosexuals living in Uganda and gives his support to a gay pride march.
Homosexual acts are illegal in Uganda and gay people have faced physical attacks and social
rejection4.
Earlier this year, a controversial anti-gay bill, which proposes to increase the penalties for homosexual acts from 14 years in jail to life, was re-tabled in the Ugandan parliament.
The bill was first introduced in 2009 but never debated - and the MP backing the legislation says a clause proposing the death penalty will be dropped.
It originally said those found guilty of "
aggravated5 homosexuality" - defined as when one of the participants is a
minor6, HIV-positive, disabled or a "
serial7 offender8" - would face the death penalty.
'Narrow mindedness'
The Uganda Justice Law and Order
Sector9 website was also reportedly taken over by hackers this week.
The government has created a directorate of security for all government websites and
tightened13 cyber laws to counter rising cyber crime, he said.
An
activist3 named @DramaSett3r on Twitter is said to be behind the attacks.
The operations were carried out by a group known as The
Elite14 Society and the
Anonymous15 hacktivist community, the activist said.
On Wednesday, the official website of Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi quoted him as saying: "We have got to expel the narrow mindedness from this country, and begin afresh, starting with a full and formal apology to all homosexuals living in Uganda today," screen grabs on Twitter and Facebook show.
A message allegedly posted by the hackers on the prime minister's site on Tuesday said: "Your
violations16 of the rights of LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] people have disgusted us.
"All people have the right to live in dignity free from the
repression17 of someone else's political and religious beliefs."
The East African nation is a largely conservative society and many people
condemn18 homosexuality both as unAfrican and unChristian.
Western
donors19 have recently said they could withdraw aid from those countries, including many in Africa, which do not recognise gay rights.