Parliament in Uganda has passed an anti-homosexuality bill, increasing the punishment for homosexual acts to include life imprisonment.
The legislation also makes it a crime not to report gay people.
The BBC reports the bill was first mooted in 2009.
Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi opposed the vote, saying not enough MPs were present.
The bill also bans the promotion of homosexuality. It originally proposed the death penalty for some offences.
"This is victory for Uganda. I am glad the parliament has voted against evil," David Bahati MP told the AFP news agency.
''Because we are a God-fearing nation, we value life in a holistic way. It is because of those values that members of parliament passed this bill regardless of what the outside world thinks," he said.
