DETAILED: Why Anita Among Doesn’t Deserve Another Term as Speaker of Parliament

Beyond the clouts, the video endorsements by different legislators especially the new comers making rounds on social media and the rushed CEC resolution backing Speaker Anita Among and Deputy Speaker Tayebwa’s to continue with their roles in the 12th parliament amidst protests from several CEC and party members like Dr. Chris Baryomunsi and several ministers, Anita Among doesn’t deserve another term at parliamentary avenue as Speaker.

Just like Norbert Mao said that the death former Speaker Jacob Oulanyah brought Uganda an accidental speaker, the woman from Bukedea has a lot that makes her the worst Speaker Uganda has had in modern times. From being sanctioned over corruption to disrespecting fellow leaders, and turning parliament into an extension of the Executive not an independent arm of government.

Several NRM supporters and senior leaders have categorically stated that the decision for the Speaker of parliament is not an issue of the party’s Central Executive Committee but rather a party issue for all members. Some are even suggesting all candidates be subjected to a primary election (kamyufu) for members to choose who’s the best.

As of today 26th February 2026, and ahead of the swearing in of MPs and election of the House speaker, the position has attracted two Museveni ministers Norbert Mao (Laro Pece) and Persis Namuganza (Bukono County). The others include Mbale City Women MP Lydia Wanyoto Mutende and Aringa South MP Odria Yoke Alion.

Prior to her return to parliament in 2021, Anita Among went through unopposed but behind this lies a string of atrocities which her opponents went through including being dragged to court over non-existent allegations. She went through as Deputy speaker in May 2021 but became Speaker a year later after the death of Jacob Oulanyah who had trounced veteran politician Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga in a contested speakership fight at Kololo Ceremonial grounds.

In this article which I have risked to put down for all sane Ugandans especially parliamentarians who vote for Speaker, I put in details why Anita Among doesn’t deserve another term as speaker of parliament.

Sanctioned Over Corruption: Speaker Anita Among was among the first to grab Mabati for the karacunas of Karamoja, her share of Iron sheets was delivered at her school Bukedea Comprehensive, she would later return the stolen mabati after public uproar. She survived being arrested as her mabati colleagues tested prison like the then Minister for Karamoja Mary Goretti Kitutu, Agnes Nandutu and Minister Amos Lugolobi.

Anita Among is sanctioned by the United States and the United Kingdom in 2024 though she claims her sanctioning is due to the Anti Homosexuality Act 2023 which remains inactive upto now after government coiled its tail from enforcing it in order to get World Bank funding and Acts of Homosexuality continue having space in Uganda without fear or favor. The US and UK were clear; she was sanctioned because of corruption.

She’s unable to travel and attend several international conferences as Speaker of parliament in Europe and the US. The only place she visits frequently is Vatican to meet the pope which welcomes her a catholic but not as speaker of parliament.

Corruption in Parliament: With Speaker Anita Among at the helm of parliament, Ugandans have seen unprecedented levels of corruption with in parliament. A string of leaked documentation leaked online in what was dubbed as #ParliamentaryExpo, they showed Anita Among siphoning public money into her schemes herself and through her proxies who were drawing money in billions. Even when she was pushed to address this matter and have it debated in parliament, Anita Among kept a blind eye since she was part of the problem to be discussed and instead attributed the leakage of confidential financial papers to homosexuals.

It’s during Anita Among’s tenure as speaker that the parliamentary Commission which she leads gifted four Commissioners of Parliament with cash amounting to Shs1.6bn politely referred to as Service Award. This service award issue tainted the image of parliament. Esther Afoyochan, Prossy Akampurira, Solomon Silwany all took 400m each while Mathias Mpuuga bagged Shs500m. It’s reported that these again got another cash gift to enable them through the campaigns of the last elections.

Parliament of Uganda under speaker Anita Among has lost credibility with Ugandans seeing it as a conduit for deals and seen as an extension of the Musevenism and NRM without the broader picture of a parliament for Ugandans and by Ugandans but a parliament for Museveni and by Museveni as president.

Questionable Integrity: Her involvement in the Mabati saga put her integrity to test, it exposed her overly unknown appetite for free things. When MPs Yusuf Mutembuli, Paul Akamba, Micheal Mawanda and Cissy Namujju (her close friend) were detained in Luzira over corruption even with evidence recorded by Chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission Mariam Wangadya as they pressured her to give them a cut from the commissions budget in order to approve its budget, Anita Among still supported her colleagues especially Namujju.

While attending a public rally in Lwengo in support for Namujju who was in prison then, Anita Among said stealing is okay as long as you share with your people. This rose many questions on her integrity. This was just a drop in the ocean among those statements she has aired which have put her in bad light.

Covering Up Critical Matters of Public Importance: When Joel Ssenyonyi who was then Chairpeson of the COSASE committee was investigating the rot in Uganda Airlines, Anita Among ordered Ssenyonyi to do the committee sessions off camera claiming they were putting the then Airline CEO Jenifer Bamuturaki into bad light. Even when the commission was done with the investigations, Anita Among blocked the tabling of the commission report claiming the report had leaked to the media.

During the investigations, a lot was uncovered that needed urgent action and recommendations including the CEO being incompetent and lacking the requirements to run a national Airline. She was three weeks ago fired over financial mismanagement and incompetence two years later.

In August 2025, Speaker Among halted COSASE’s probe into the Nakivubo Channel development project which had even been stopped by KCCA for lack of approvals. The developer Ham Kigundu promised to cover the Nakivubo and plant trees on top of it. He defiantly continued and has constructed arcades instead. Speaker at one point stopped the Committee on Defense from summoning the Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) Gen Muhoozi Keinerugaba who had referred to the Committee members and legislators as clowns.

Crooked Political Games of Unopposed bids: In her two consecutive bids (2021 and 2026) to be unopposed, Anita Among has used her money to suffocate fellow women who seek leadership even when her boss president Museveni accepts competition though he doesn’t give a leveled ground for his competitors. She blocked Hellen Akol Odeke from being nominated by the NRM’s Tanga Odoi in June claiming she has no house in the district. She also engineered the removal of three of her opponents from the National Voter’s Register Hellen Akol Odeke, Suzan Norma Otai and Alupo Mercy Marion. The three were even dragged to court by the Speaker’s relative for contesting without being on the register. The electoral Commission failed to act but court ruled in favor of the respondents.

Owing to the removal of Alupo Mercy from the register, NUP gave the party card to Asio Florence who also went missing on nomination day and would later re-appear claiming she couldn’t contest against her relative Among.

On nomination day in November, several other candidates were blocked by the Electoral Commission in Bukedea including FDC’s Norma Suzan Otai who revealed that when she went to be nominated, she was told the network was off and she also needed clearance from the District Police Commander (DPC) to access the Nomination venue.

Otai just like others who were affected on nomination day petitioned the Electoral Commission in Kampala. The commission made rulings on several petitions including denominating several candidates especially those of NUP but upto now, the Byabakama-led commission has never delivered a ruling in the Suzan Otai petition against speaker Anita Among.

Disrespecting fellow leaders and using Unparliamentary language: On several occasions, Speaker Anita’s lack of emotional intelligence has led her to disrespecting fellow legislators during plenary because she’s in power and has money. At some point during a heated debate on the Service Award, she told Lwemiyaga MP Theodre Ssekikubo that “You speak all the whatever nonsense you want to speak”. She also at some point told Nansana MP Wakayima Musoke to “Shut Up” during plenary and many others.

During the heated Coffee bill which rationalized the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) back to the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, she was heard saying “Make sure those Bagandas don’t get the numbers”.

Fighting whoever disagrees with her: Parliament has had a speaker who will use all the resources she has at hand to fight whoever disagrees with her. She fought and led parliament to censure Minister Persis Namuganza. Her censorship documents were taken president Museveni to enforce the same but he just rubbished it calling it a useless move. She led parliament as the complainant, and the judge to remove MP Francis Zaake from the parliamentary commission claiming he abused her. Several other MPs who have disagreed with Anita Among have faced true colors either by being denied chances to travel abroad or denied chance to speak on the floor of parliament.

In conclusion therefore, Ugandans deserve better, they need a speaker who will serve Ugandans. Chair parliamentary sessions as speaker of parliament not as speaker of NRM, treat everyone with respect and a speaker whose conduct and name are not tainted with corruption, sanctioned or lack of decorum.