CORRUPTION AS USUAL: Questions Raised Over Speaker Anita Among’s Alleged Ugx 500 Million Salary and Expanding Power in Parliament.

Debate is intensifying within Uganda’s political circles over the growing influence of the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, as discussions about the future leadership of Parliament begin to take shape ahead of the next electoral cycle.

Questions have also emerged regarding the remuneration and privileges of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker. According to former Member of Parliament Odonga Otto, the Speaker is believed to earn about Shs500 million, although he noted that the exact figure remains unclear to the public.

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Otto further argued that the actual earnings of both the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker are not widely known, raising concerns about transparency. He also pointed out what some critics view as a structural conflict: the officials who determine the Speaker’s benefits are the Parliamentary Commissioners, yet the Speaker plays a role in approving the same parliamentary administrative framework.

Allegations of Expanding Political Influence

Concerns about Among’s growing political influence are not entirely new. On March 13, 2024, political analyst Anderson Burora wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) account alleging that after the 2021 general elections, Among began building a strong political network within Parliament.

According to Burora, the strategy involved cultivating loyal allies across political divides, including members of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), opposition legislators, and independent MPs. He claimed that some MPs close to the Speaker benefited from increased facilitation, travel opportunities, and revised mileage allowances.

Burora argued that such moves were designed to strengthen the Speaker’s bargaining power within Parliament and secure political numbers that could support her leadership in future parliamentary elections.

Political Tensions and Party Dynamics

The debate has resurfaced at a time when political competition around the Speakership is reportedly growing. Analysts say factions linked to Norbert Mao are emerging as possible challengers to the incumbent Speaker.

At the same time, prominent commentator Andrew Mwenda has publicly raised concerns about Among’s expanding power within the political system.

Speaking during a YouTube discussion with veteran journalists Charles Onyango-Obbo and Robert Kabushenga, Mwenda alleged that Among has built strong networks of influence within several state institutions.

He claimed that her political strategy relies heavily on patronage networks, financial influence, and loyalty-building across institutions, tactics he suggested resemble political strategies long associated with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

Mwenda further alleged that some of this influence may extend into the judiciary through relationships and patronage networks, though such claims remain matters of political debate rather than verified findings.

Observers say Among’s rapid political rise has made her one of the most powerful figures in Uganda’s political establishment. As Speaker, she is widely regarded as the third-most powerful official in the country, after the President and the Vice President.

Her increasing political visibility has led some analysts to speculate about whether she could eventually seek an even bigger national role in the future.

Despite the debate, the ruling National Resistance Movement has continued to endorse her leadership in Parliament.

Political observers note that the ultimate direction of the Speakership race may still depend heavily on the position taken by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, whose influence within the ruling party remains decisive.