In an uncharacteristic move, the World Bank yesterday postponed a $90 million loan to Uganda’s health system over the recent passing of another anti-gay law.

The World Bank, which usual remains apolitical, postponed the project “to ensure that the development objectives would not be adversely affected by the enactment of this new law,” World Bank spokesman David Theis told The Guardian in an email.

However, Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni (pictured) appears unconcerned by the international outcry following the bill’s passing. “Outsiders cannot dictate to us. This is our country,” Museveni said in a speech in Kampala.

“I advise friends from the west not to make this an issue, because if they make it an issue the more they will lose. If the west does not want to work with us because of homosexuals, then we have enough space to ourselves here.”

Many Western donor countries responded to Uganda’s renewed legal persecution of gays by withholding aid. Earlier this week, Norway said it would be withholding $8m in development aid and Denmark said will divert $9m away from the government.