Salaam Musumba says Among became casualty of NRM internal power battles

this file photo, former Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga [left] and People's Front for Freedom council speaker Salaam Musumba attend a children’s event in Bugabula South, Kamuli District, wearing Independence medals. PHOTO/SAM CALEB OPIO

People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) council speaker Salaam Musumba has claimed that the ongoing investigations into former Speaker Anita Among are not merely about corruption, but part of a wider political transition struggle within Uganda’s ruling establishment.

Speaking during Ssebo FM’s political talk show Twisanhie on Saturday, Musumba argued that the mounting pressure facing Among reflects deepening succession battles ahead of Uganda’s anticipated political transition.

“What is going on is a transition fight for power in its rawest form, not merely corruption. The 12th Parliament is being shaped through political survival battles and Anita Among has become a casualty specimen of that stampede,” Musumba said.

Among has recently come under increasing scrutiny following security raids on her properties, investigations into unexplained wealth, alleged irregular travel claims, recruitment concerns and accusations of financial mismanagement. Reports also indicate that luxury assets, including a custom 2025 Rolls-Royce Cullinan reportedly worth billions of shillings, were seized as part of the investigations. She has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and insists she is being politically targeted.

Musumba warned Ugandans against interpreting the developments purely as an anti-corruption campaign, describing the situation as “mob justice disguised as accountability.”

“Soon we will stop saying ‘Akapande osomye bubi’ meaning you misread the signpost and instead come to understand that this storm was never just about corruption,” she said.

She further alleged that the rise of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), associated with Chief of Defence Forces Muhoozi Kainerugaba, had significantly altered internal political dynamics within the ruling National Resistance Movement.

According to Musumba, the NRM spent years weakening opposition forces while failing to strengthen cohesion within its own ranks.

“NRM invested heavily in destroying opposition and contracted Anita Among as one of its political agents, but now the contract is expiring and PLU has emerged to render the old order politically outdated,” she claimed.

Musumba also linked the alleged recovery of large amounts of cash from Among’s residences to growing mistrust in Uganda’s financial monitoring systems.

“People no longer keep money in banks because accounts are constantly monitored. Once you are flagged as a politically exposed person, every transaction attracts suspicion, so many prefer home banks,” she said.

She described the ongoing developments as part of a broader political strategy aimed at intimidating dissenting voices within the establishment.

“This is about clearing the path through fear, labeling and dehumanising people so that others surrender quietly,” she added.

Callers to the radio programme echoed similar sentiments, with some alleging that President Yoweri Museveni is gradually transferring political influence to his son, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, whom they claimed is increasingly shaping Uganda’s future political direction.

One caller from Buyende argued that the anti-corruption campaign was partly intended to restore public confidence amid widespread frustration over corruption.

“They always knew about Anita Among’s wealth. There are even bigger thieves out there. This is just for show and political survival,” the caller said.

Meanwhile, contributors on the Kamuli NRM Forum platform compared Among’s political troubles to the earlier decline of former Speaker Rebecca Kadaga, arguing that influential political figures are often contained once they become too powerful.

“When Kadaga became too popular, she was politically humiliated. Among made matters worse by openly displaying political strength before the establishment. Now this appears to be damage control, but perhaps too little too late,” one commentator posted.

Others suggested that the contest for leadership of the 12th Parliament may already have been decided behind the scenes.

“The 12th Parliament appears destined for the political heir already in the driving seat,” another post read.