Monrovia — A group of Ghanaian MPs reintroduced the controversial anti-gay rights bill which stalled in 2024 after a decision by former president Nana Akufo-Addo not to sign it into law, the BBC reported, paving the way for harsher penalties in the country.

Ghanaian law already prohibits same-sex relationships, and the Bill - if passed into law - will increase the prison term and also impose jail time for the "promotion and sponsorship" of activities. Although first passed by Parliament in 2024, then president Akufo-Addo said he would await the outcome of legal challenges to the Bill before the Supreme Court. He didn't approve before ending his tenure in January 2025.

President John Mahama said he prefers a national consensus before "we decide to move that Bill forward". The reintroduction is sponsored by both ruling and opposition party lawmakers.

Human rights activists condemned the bill, warning it would lead to violence against LGBTQI+ people. "It is disheartening and hard to process," a Ghanaian trans woman and activist told Reuters, emphasizing that the activism will continue.

The Bill, however, garnered support from conservative groups, including some in the religious community, who have organized public marches urging the speedy passage of the legislation.

An Afrobarometer survey shows only 7% of the Ghanaian public expresses tolerance for queer relationships.