In what some may interpret as a sign that the once-powerful speaker of parliament no longer enjoys the President’s ear, MPs from the Teso sub-region have appealed to President Yoweri Museveni to pardon Anita Annet Among and allow her to seek specialised medical treatment abroad.
Among, who remains under house arrest following raids on her residences in Nakasero, Kigo, Ntinda and Bukedea, during which security agencies confiscated several of her luxury vehicles over allegations of illicit wealth accumulation, reportedly told the MPs that she has been diagnosed with a blood clot in one leg, diabetes and high blood pressure.
Kumi Municipality MP Silas Aogon said the legislators visited Among at her Nakasero residence, where she briefed them on her deteriorating health.
Speaking to journalists at parliament, the MPs said Among requires specialised treatment outside the country. The Bukedea District Woman MP has largely remained out of public view and is reportedly confined to her home in Nakasero.
“These are serious health challenges that we want government to look upon with mercy because she needs to come out and receive proper medical attention from a place that befits a person who has served this country with diligence,” Aogon said.
He also described Among’s predicament as an act of betrayal, questioning how some of her closest associates had turned against her.
“Where you had people who were with you 24/7, and they turned against you and became the very people championing negative attacks against you, that is what I would call betrayal,” he said.
Kasilo MP Peter Paul Emaju said the delegation was deeply moved by the physical and emotional condition in which they found Among.
“While we fully appreciate the importance of accountability and the rule of law, we respectfully pray that compassion may accompany justice in considering her present circumstances,” Emaju said.
Amuria MP Samuel Ediau appealed for humane treatment of Among, saying that regardless of any allegations against her, she should be accorded dignity. He also called for the unfreezing of her bank accounts.
Kaberamaido District Woman MP Jane Francis Amongin urged President Museveni to heed the appeal from Teso legislators and extend mercy to the former speaker.
She said that although the country knows Among as a hardworking public servant, she is now grappling with psychological and emotional distress.
“Father of this nation, whatever it is, there is an African saying that when your child defecates on himself/herself you don’t throw away the child with the faeces; you wash the child and pour the dirty water. Human beings are not bad, but it can be the act. Anita Annet Among is a very good person,” Amongin said.