Ugandan President Yoeri Museveni called on African leaders to reject “homosexuality” as he announced he would sign a controversial anti-LGBTQ+ bill passed by parliament last month.

The bill, which provides for the death penalty for “acute homosexuality” and life imprisonment for “recruiting, promoting and financing activities” of those of the same sex, has been widely criticized internationally, with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights urging the president not to sign off.

The bill punishes up to 10 years in prison for anyone who declares themselves to be “lesbian, gay, transgender, or homosexual, or any other sexual orientation or gender identity that defies the binary categorization of men and women.”

Speaking on Sunday, Museveni said that homosexuality is a “great threat and danger to the reproduction of the human race.” Africa must give impetus to save the world from this degeneration and decline, which is really very dangerous for humanity.”

His comments followed a two-day inter-parliamentary conference on “family values ​​and sovereignty” held at State House, which was attended by MPs and representatives from 22 African countries, including Zambia, Kenya and Sierra Leone. The State House said British MPs were present at the conference but could not name them.

Museveni praised Ugandan MPs for passing an anti-gay law and vowed to “never allow propaganda and publicity for homosexuality, stressing that it will never be tolerated.”