SOFT LANDING, AAA NOT GOING TO PRISON: Museveni Promises Anita Among ‘Big Job’ after Speaker Race Withdrawal – Sources

Things have taken a dramatic twist in the past 24 hours, with Anita Among’s speaker race withdrawal announcement – a decision that has changed things in her favour, giving her hopes for a soft landing. Sources now tell The Pearl Times ‘AAA is not going to prison.’

Yet before Anita Among’s announcement of her decision to withdraw from the race, it was almost certain she would be arraigned in court sometime this week, with the risk of being remanded very high.

The rise and fall of Anita Amon tells a striking story of ambition, consolidation of power, and eventual political and legal turbulence. Among’s ascent began far from the peak of national power. With a background in banking and academia, she endured early electoral setbacks before finally entering Parliament in 2016 as an independent candidate. Her decision to later align with the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) proved pivotal. Within a few years, she had positioned herself at the center of Uganda’s political establishment, culminating in her election as Speaker of Parliament in 2022 following the death of Jacob Oulanyah.

Her rapid rise was underpinned by calculated political alliances. Among cultivated close ties with President Yoweri Museveni and Muhoozi Kainerugaba, signaling unwavering loyalty to the ruling elite. This alignment strengthened her influence within Parliament and helped solidify her reputation as one of the most powerful political figures in the country.

At the height of her power, Among exercised significant control over parliamentary affairs while maintaining strong grassroots support in her Bukedea constituency. She combined patronage networks, public spending initiatives, and national visibility to entrench her authority.

However, cracks began to emerge as she sought to retain her grip on the speakership ahead of the next parliamentary cycle. Internal divisions within the ruling establishment became increasingly visible, with shifting loyalties—particularly among key power brokers—undermining her position. The erosion of elite backing marked a decisive turning point in her political fortunes.

At the same time, her public image came under intense scrutiny amid corruption allegations and international sanctions. Investigations into her wealth, including luxury properties and high-value assets, triggered heightened attention from both domestic watchdogs and foreign governments. Reports of raids on her residences and formal probes into her financial dealings deepened the crisis surrounding her leadership.

Read interesting facts about Anita Among in her profile Here.

All this has melted into one announcement: Anita Among’s withdrawal from the race, a decision that did not come as easy, and one that president Museveni awaited for days in a busy weekend that changed Anita Among’s political future.

The Pearl Times understands that it took the intervention of several people to convince Anita Among to quit the speaker race as Museveni demanded.

These included Twala Fadhil, the MP for Tingey County in the Sebei sub-region, and Martin Ojara Mapenduzi, the MP for Bardege-Layibi Division.

Anita Among, sources further told us, had up to midnight to declare her withdrawal from the speaker race or face more music. Fearing to be further humiliated on orders of NRM chairman Yoweri Museveni and military chief Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Anita Among announced her decision minutes before midnight.

With the announcement, security operatives are expected to shift their eyes from Anita Among’s residences to parliament with a number of officials said to be the target of investigations.

In what could be a shocking twist, while many thought Anita Among would be in the dock – and subsequently on remand in Luzira sometime this week – she could be off the hook, and the situation may normalize. And it will be up to Ugandans to move on.

As early as Friday last week, Museveni demanded that Anita Among withdraw from the race and accept to be appointed vice president but the Bukedea District Woman MP refused, dragging her feet until security agencies raided her residences.

It is said that after meeting Anita Among at State House, Museveni sent head of public service and secretary to cabinet Lucy Nakyobe to deliver an offer to Anita Among: withdraw from the speaker race and take the vice president job.

At the moment, it is not clear if Anita Among will be appointed vice president – replacing Jessica Alupo – or if Museveni has changed his mind since Friday as Anita Among refused to take the offer until application of some force in the manner of raids at the luxury homes of the embattled speaker of the 11th parliament.

What is clear though is that Anita Among will have a soft landing and may not be in the coolers.

In raids on Anita Among’s homes, billions of money and witchcraft items were reportedly recovered. (See Details Here and There).

You can read how fearless Agather Atuhaire and Spire Ssentongo caught Museveni’s eye and complicated things for Anita Among Here.

Meanwhile, Museveni and Muhoozi have also rejected Thomas Tayebwa for deputy speaker.