Outgoing speaker of parliament Anita Annet Among has withdrawn from the race for speaker of the 12th parliament amid mounting political pressure and ongoing investigations into alleged corruption and money laundering.
The flamboyant Among, who draws little public sympathy, announced her decision on Sunday evening at 11.50 pm EAT through a statement posted on her official X account, saying she had arrived at the decision after “wide consultations and deep introspection.”
Her withdrawal comes at a time when the contest for parliament’s top seat has become increasingly tense, exposing growing divisions and shifting alliances within the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).
The development also follows the decision by the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), a political platform associated with Chief of Defence Forces and President Museveni’s son, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, to withdraw support for Among and instead endorse Jacob Oboth-Oboth for the speakership.
The political pressure surrounding Among has intensified in recent days following coordinated security raids on some of her properties over allegations linked to illicit wealth accumulation, abuse of office and money laundering.
The situation was further compounded after the arrest of incoming Masaka City Woman MP Justine Nameere, one of Among’s outspoken political allies, by military operatives over the weekend.
At the same time, reports have also emerged suggesting that Moses Magogo, Among’s husband and president of the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA), is facing heightened scrutiny as investigations widen.
Among, who first became speaker following the death of Jacob Oulanyah in 2022, had initially appeared determined to seek another term and had actively mobilised support among newly sworn-in MPs.
Below is Among’s full statement as posted on X:
“I wish to draw the attention of the public to the matters regarding the Speakership race. After wide consultations and deep introspection, and to maintain harmony and clarity in my beloved party, the @NRMOnline, I wish to categorically and unequivocally state that I will not be offering myself for the Speakership race of the 12th Parliament.
I am greatly indebted to H.E @KagutaMuseveni, my party, the @NRMOnline, and members of the 11th Parliament for giving me the opportunity to serve as Deputy Speaker and Speaker.
I am equally indebted to my family and friends for the solidarity and support they have extended to me over the last five years.
I pledge my total support to the candidates who will be endorsed by the President and the Party, and implore all colleague MPs of the 12th Parliament to do the same.
I shall remain available to the service of my country as the party and the President may assign me.
In the meantime, I pledge to continue cooperating with all ongoing investigations as initiated by the relevant organs of the state to get to the root of all the allegations raised.
FOR GOD AND MY COUNTRY.
ANITA ANNET AMONG.”
Good riddance!
Good riddance
If you had listened to the H.E President, you would not have been in that shit. You are a very big headed cadre. Being in government is not the same as being the government. I think she now knows whom the government is!
This so called withdraw is completely meaningless and not even worth the paper it is written on.
If anything , it is yet another indication of how Ms.Anita Among acts without thinking .
Ingoma, agreed, but,
Only UNITED Ugandans can stop the useless parliament with speakers, mps payed for pretending 40 years+++++ of Rwandese Museveni’s ownership of Uganda is democracy!
Parliament should ensure constituencies are developed with tax money; job creation, good roads, good housing with running clean water & power, good schools, health facilities!
Is this so, reason Ugandans will go for next meaningless parliaentary election to bolster Museveni & ensure the public/social services they longed for & got go on?
How can Ugandans just go on when all they have to do is say NO to the tribalistic system & UNITE under just ONE of them to block & stop Museveni, then form the kind of governance they want, without war?
Why is Rwandese Museveni assured of lifetime rule, knowing only his family member will replace him when he dies of old age in post?
Why do Ugandans act as if Rwandese Museveni is their god?
I’m quite intrigued by the ongoing actions by Gen. Museveni. It is quite unprecedented. I still doubt it will amount to anything. When a person demonstrates total loyalty to Gen. Museveni, as exemplified by Hon. Anita Among, it is not known of Gen. Museveni to destroy them. He can relieve her of the role she’s been entrusted with but he has no history of politically of personally crushing them. I’m waiting to be surprised.
It’s clear that Muhoozi now has significant influence and operational control, with Museveni seemingly giving him increasing leeway in decision-making. Janet Museveni’s apparent incapacitation may also have shifted internal power dynamics further in his favour.
However, the bigger challenge is that corruption in Uganda has become deeply entrenched within the system. At this stage, tackling it aggressively could destabilise the very structures that sustain the NRM. In many ways, corruption has reached stage 4 cancer levels — embedded in the vital organs of the state.
Removing all the corrupt elements at once would collapse the NRM government unless Uganda were transformed into a highly centralised state like Rwanda or North Korea, where power and control are concentrated almost entirely around one dominant authority, and corruption is tightly managed from the top.
Okot you have a point indeed. “Parliament should ensure constituencies are developed with tax money; job creation, good roads, good housing with running clean water & power, good schools, health facilities. NRM diehard do not seem to want to vote properly their representatives to parliament with such a dodgy and money minded lady speaker. No wonder NRM cannot be trusted to put up proper, free and fair national local government elections and special interest group elections all over this country. Instead of these house majority NRM MPs debating major issues that concern their constituents, they go to sleep, they go absent from the house, they only attend when some more money is introduced to debate useless bills for the removal of presidential term limits and age limits or how President M7 can be helped to build an African dynasty. It will not surprise anyone when the next government auditor’s financial report is published to show that NRM spent over 10 trillion shillings to put up the just finished national election of Uganda which it has managed to rig and win handsomely!!
One would want to expect that the next arranged house of parliament of Uganda comes down to earth and puts up better electoral reforms that continue to be neglected by the long serving NRM government.
Anita’s drama is complex and she is not alone. Fufa President might be in the script unfolding too, especially with the fight with Ministry of Education, soon it will be the Land office. However, it goes back to Kadaga, Magogo, Anita and many at large who claims to be followers, practitioner, owner of “Lubaale”. The ONLY solution to this drama even the nation Uganda, REPENT, ask forgiveness from God, return everything that you took from the families especially in “Budiope/Jinja”, seek prayers from rightful heir, then you will see peace, healing and restoration. Otherwise, you are heading for internal fights and confusion. Job 42:7-9. You can’t stop the wind/spirit, it’s IP address is default(1.1.1).God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
In other words, what does it benefit a man/woman to gain the whole world but lose the soul (Matt 16:26)?
After bragging about her rise from GRASS to GRACE to the people in her constituency (Bukedea) , Anita Among has now come face to face with her RISE and FALL, from GRACE back to GRASS!
It no longer matters how obsequious, obscurant and sycophantic Among becomes and expresses herself to the people she sold her soul to, namely her satanic trinity, especially our PROBLEM OF AFRICA and his STANDBY PROBLEM OF AFRICA, Gen MK who has just politically kicked her butts in public.
Wachireba?
When Elijah realized that his family/Israelites had been turned to worship “Baal”. His soul was troubled and family lineage was at risk. He went on rampage aggressive campaign for revaluation, restoration and revival in Israel during King Ahab and Jezebel. Uganda of today, is not different; Kadaga, Magogo, Anita, etc, and the big-man/woman who boast of “Lubaale”, that’s the soul of my Dad you’re playing with, selling out. For your information, my ancestors broke off alliance with the Busoga kingdom for the same reasons. Just as I almost took a bullet for my dad when he was alive, saved his life. I will take damn bullet to save his soul and ancestral souls from evil usage. The good Lord I/we serve will listen to my/our prayers to grant me/us victory. If he did it for Elijah, he will do it for me/us. In Jesus Name!
Good reasoning.
But actually this luxurious car of anita, what’s wrong with this country. Money which would have been used for something beneficial to the country, is just used for one’s presitage no please!
hahahahahahhahahahahhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Good decision.
Everything has its own time. there is time for becoming and unbecoming