Museveni stuck with Anita Among

It has been 26 days since former Speaker of Parliament Anita Annet Among was placed under house arrest at her residence in Nakasero, Kampala.

Since then, access to one of Uganda’s most powerful political figures has been tightly restricted. Sources familiar with the matter say even her mobile phones were confiscated, leaving her largely cut off from the outside world.

Now, as speculation intensifies over her future, a critical question hangs over the political establishment: what happens next? According to media reports, the Inspector General of Government (IGG) has completed investigations into Among and submitted a report to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

The report is expected to guide a decision on whether formal criminal charges should be brought against a woman who, only weeks ago, occupied the third-highest office in government. Yet despite the significance of the matter, Museveni has remained conspicuously silent.

The President has addressed the country twice in recent weeks, first during the election of Jacob Oboth- Oboth as Among’s replacement and later during the State of the Nation Address. On both occasions, he avoided any mention of a story that has dominated headlines for weeks. Sources close to Among say that silence extends beyond public appearances.

“Even privately, he has not discussed this matter. We have tried to talk to people close to him, and they all say he is not saying a thing,” said one Among confidant, who requested anonymity to speak freely about the situation.

The IGG’s inquiry reportedly centres on three areas: alleged money laundering, abuse of office, and irregular recruitment of parliamentary staff. However, according to sources familiar with the operation, the IGG investigation came after an earlier security operation that was primarily led by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), with support from the Uganda Police Force.

The operation was reportedly driven by intelligence suggesting that Among had stored large sums of local and foreign currency at several residences, particularly her home in Nakasero near Fairway Junction.

Investigators allegedly believed the money could be used to influence Members of Parliament during the contest for the speakership of the 12th Parliament. That belief appears to explain the dramatic scenes that unfolded during the searches.

According to sources, fire brigade equipment and metal-cutting tools were brought to the residence to gain access to suspected safes. Investigators reportedly searched extensively, even lifting floor tiles in some areas while looking for hidden compartments.

“They dug up the tiles looking for safes in which the money was kept. But they found none,” one source said.

“You know there were also allegations that she had a money-printing machine at her house. Of course, we know David Kabanda was the source of this information. But all that was false.”

The source added that the failure to recover the expected evidence frustrated those who had briefed the President on the allegations. Since then, security arrangements around Among’s properties have reportedly changed. According to another source, military personnel have been withdrawn from residences in Kigo, Ntinda, Bukedea and Budiope.

Only the Nakasero residence remains under close watch by both military and police personnel.

“I surely cannot tell you exactly what is going to happen,” another confidant said. “What I know is that the president spoke to her and said nobody was going to arrest her. Of course, the Kabanda group wanted her to be arrested and charged immediately, but it seems Museveni is taking his time.”

According to the same source, some of those involved in the operation believed that completely humiliating Among would destroy her political influence and ability to fight back. Another Member of Parliament who has been close to Among suggested that the president’s primary objective may already have been achieved.

“I cannot say for sure that he is not going to okay her arrest and charging in court. He might do it to assuage the anger of the public,” the MP said.

“But what I can say for sure is that he was annoyed with her for refusing to step down from the speakership contest. He had given her a soft landing as a potential Vice President, but she insisted on continuing to mobilise MPs to vote for her.”

The MP added that Museveni viewed Among’s rise as something he had helped make possible and was angered by what he saw as defiance. The uncertainty surrounding the case appears to be causing unease among some of the figures who supported the operation against her.

One of the most public expressions of frustration came from David Kabanda, who used his X account to argue that the anti-corruption drive should not stop at investigations and house arrests.

“If we’re serious about fighting corruption, we can’t stop at exciting the public with house arrests and headlines. People must be prosecuted and convicted so everyone learns the lesson,” Kabanda wrote.

“You can’t convict Nandutu over 300 iron sheets, then forgive the one who stole the entire economy. The law must apply equally, big or small fish.” Kabanda was referring to former Karamoja Affairs minister Agnes Nandutu, who was convicted and sentenced to four years in prison over the misappropriation of iron sheets intended for the Karamoja sub-region.

However, sources familiar with the dispute argue that any comprehensive investigation into Among’s tenure would inevitably draw attention to individuals who worked closely with her, including Kabanda himself.

“Of course, they are frustrated because they thought this was going to be a clean sweep,” one source said.

“They thought that as soon as the report was produced, Among would immediately be arrested and charged. But all this is not happening.”

The source further alleged that Kabanda benefited from parliamentary resources and influence during Among’s time in office and now has an interest in ensuring the investigation proceeds in a particular direction.

“At this time, for anybody to tell you what is going to happen next, he will be lying,” the source added.

Another source claimed that supporters associated with the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), where Kabanda serves as Secretary General, have intensified efforts to influence the political outcome of the matter.

“Of course, this was a political operation to try and neutralise Among, and now that what they wanted has been done, the question is how much these guys are going to influence what happens next,” the source said.

Meanwhile, those who have interacted with Among in recent days describe a woman struggling to come to terms with her sudden fall from power. One source characterised her mood as a mixture of bitterness, disappointment and isolation.

“She is bitter that she has been subjected to this level of humiliation, yet she thinks she has worked so hard for the NRM and President Museveni,” the source said. “She also feels that some of the people she thought were her friends have abandoned her, while others have been used to bring her down.”

Among, a three-term Woman MP for Bukedea District, was elected Deputy Speaker in 2021 before assuming the speakership in 2022 following the death of Jacob Oulanyah. During her tenure, she accumulated considerable political influence both inside and outside Parliament.

Political commentator Andrew Mwenda, who serves as spokesperson for the Patriotic League of Uganda, has argued in a series of articles and public commentaries that it was precisely this accumulation of power that alarmed elements within the National Resistance Movement and the UPDF.

According to Mwenda, some within the establishment came to view Among as a political force whose ambitions needed to be contained. He has suggested that concerns over possible presidential aspirations may have contributed to the push against her. For now, however, the central question remains unanswered. The investigations appear complete.

The report is reportedly on the president’s desk. Yet no formal charges have been announced, no prosecution has begun, and Museveni continues to say nothing. Whether that silence signals caution, calculation or a decision still being weighed behind closed doors remains one of the most closely watched questions in Ugandan politics.

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