Political Fortunes Reverse as Zaake Takes Committee Chair While Former Speaker Among Moves to Backbench

In a striking turn of political fortunes, former Speaker of Parliament Anita Annet Among has been assigned to serve on a parliamentary committee chaired by Mityana Municipality MP Francis Zaake, the same lawmaker whose removal from the Parliamentary Commission she once presided over.

The development has drawn attention across Uganda’s political landscape, with many observers noting the irony of how quickly power dynamics can shift in Parliament.

Until her recent replacement by Jacob Markson Oboth-Oboth as Speaker, Among was arguably one of the most powerful figures in the country.

Following a multi-agency corruption probe that saw her residences raided and key allies including Director of Communications Chris Obore remanded to Luzira Prison, her political standing has collapsed.

Stripped of her leadership role and cabinet prospects, Among now sits as a backbench MP representing Bukedea District.

Four years later, the balance of power has shifted.

Under the leadership of Speaker Jacob Oboth-Oboth, Zaake has been appointed to chair a parliamentary committee on which Anita Among now serves as an ordinary member.

For Francis Zaake, the moment carries a measure of vindication. In March 2022, Among chaired the plenary session in which 155 MPs voted to remove him from the Parliamentary Commission over alleged misconduct, following his criticism of her leadership on social media.

When the National Unity Platform later sought to reinstate him, parliamentary leadership under her tenure was seen as limiting his influence.

Today, Zaake chairs the committee to which the former Speaker must now report. Despite that history, Zaake has publicly pledged to handle her case with fairness and integrity a posture that, if borne out, would favor institutional objectivity over personal score settling.

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