Tanzania's move towards banning gay rights groups

Out of the 55 state recognized African countries, homosexuality is outlawed in 35.

In Sudan, southern Somalia and northern Nigeria homosexuality is punishable by death.

Other east African countries with maximum sentences for homosexuality are Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda.

In Tanzania sodomy is a criminal act punishable by life imprisonment, however, there is no legislation prohibiting homosexuality in Tanzania.

In a bid to hit the LGBT community in Tanzania, the government banned the sale and import of sexual lubricants.

Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu said that lubricant promoted homosexuality, which was against the rule in the east African country and could be sentenced to life imprisonment.

While the situation in Tanzania is better than in other east African countries, but it is getting worse.

Human Rights Watch and the Wake Up and Step Forward Coalition (WASO) report pointed out that "abuses including torture, rape, assault, arbitrary arrest, and extortion" were carried out against the LGBT community.

The report said the fear of abuse was driving the community away from seeking HIV prevention and treatment services.

Health workers too turned away LGBT community patients.

Tanzania's justice minister announced that the government would suspend the registration of any charity or non-governmental organization that supported homosexuality.

This comes after regional commissioner for Dar es Salaam, the country's biggest city- Paul Makonda had started a crackdown against gay people in July.

He had said at the rally that he would identify people from their social media profiles and arrest them.

Tanzania announced that it would ban non-governmental organizations that "promote" the freedoms of "lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people".

Tanzania's Deputy Minister for health, community, development and gender, Hamisi Kigwangala, said the Tanzanian government held its ancestral values and would "always protect them".

He said Tanzania recognized two traditional sexes and "there's nothing in between or beyond."