In captivity: Former FDC steward Anita Among grabs NRM’s second chance with thankful open hands  

For months, the political future of Anita Annet Among, the Bukedea District Woman MP and former Speaker of Uganda’s 11th Parliament, appeared uncertain.

The once-powerful legislator had largely disappeared from public view after security forces were deployed at her residences in Kampala in May, following investigations into allegations of corruption, illicit enrichment, abuse of office and money laundering.

On August 25, however, the political drama took an unexpected turn.

Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), announced on X that President Yoweri Museveni had instructed him to release Among from house arrest and end the prospect of criminal prosecution against her.

“Mzee has also instructed me to release AAA from house arrest. We shall do that as well,” Muhoozi posted.

When an X user Joshua Kamusiime asked whether criminal prosecution would continue, the CDF responded: “No. We shall not prosecute AAA. She made mistakes but Mzee has decided to forgive her.”

The announcement brought to an abrupt end months of uncertainty surrounding one of the most influential political figures to emerge from Uganda’s Parliament in recent years.

From opposition politics to the Speaker’s chair

Among’s political journey has been marked by a remarkable transformation.

She began her political career in the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), where she served as deputy treasurer.

She unsuccessfully contested the Bukedea Woman MP seat on the FDC ticket in 2006 and 2011 before returning to the political contest in 2016 as an independent candidate.

She won the Bukedea seat and subsequently aligned herself with the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM). Her rise inside Parliament was rapid.

Within a few years, Among had moved from the back benches to influential parliamentary positions before becoming Deputy Speaker of the 11th Parliament.

In March 2022, she succeeded the late Jacob Oulanyah as Speaker, becoming one of the most powerful figures in Uganda’s political establishment.

Her influence extended well beyond Parliament. She became a prominent NRM mobiliser and a powerful political figure in Teso and across the country.

President Museveni publicly praised her leadership and wealth-creation initiatives in Teso, recalling how she had transitioned from opposition politics to working closely with the NRM.

Her public profile also came with a highly visible lifestyle, including luxury properties and vehicles that later became central to scrutiny of her wealth.

The fall from the Speaker’s chair

The turning point came in May 2026.

Joint security agencies raided properties linked to Among as part of investigations into allegations surrounding her wealth and the management of public resources.

Security personnel were subsequently deployed at her residences, effectively placing her under house arrest.

Authorities also impounded luxury vehicles, including a Rolls-Royce Cullinan reportedly valued at about Shs3.4 billion.

Investigators were said to be examining her assets, bank accounts, financial transfers, property acquisitions and other transactions.

The investigations also affected her political ambitions.

Among withdrew from the race for Speaker of the 12th Parliament, ending hopes that she would return to the office she had occupied since 2022. Jacob Oboth Oboth was subsequently elected Speaker.

For a politician who had appeared almost unassailable, the developments represented a dramatic and embarrassing reversal of fortune.

A wider parliamentary investigation

The investigation did not stop at Among.

Several senior parliamentary officials and individuals associated with the institution were arrested and charged over allegations involving financial loss, embezzlement and money laundering.

According to reports, prosecutors alleged that billions of shillings had been lost through activities involving parliamentary funds, including corporate social responsibility programmes.

Some of those facing charges had served in senior positions during Among’s tenure as Speaker.

Among herself, however, was not formally prosecuted before Museveni’s reported decision to halt proceedings against her.

That distinction is significant.

Her release therefore does not erase the allegations that triggered the investigation. Instead, it marks a political decision to end the pursuit of criminal proceedings against the former Speaker.

Museveni’s pardon

The intervention by Museveni has now changed Among’s fortunes once again.

What appeared to be a political downfall has turned into a return to freedom, with her position as Bukedea Woman MP intact.

New Vision reported that security personnel from the Special Forces Command who had been stationed at Among’s residences in Nakasero and Kigo withdrew following the President’s directive.

Among responded publicly on August 26, expressing gratitude to Museveni and Muhoozi.

“I take this opportunity to thank the Almighty God for the gift of life and freedom,” she said, describing Museveni’s intervention as an act of “parental grace” and mercy.

She also thanked Muhoozi for what she described as his professionalism during the period of restrictions.

“As the Woman MP for Bukedea, I look forward to continuing my work for my constituents and standing firm with our revolutionary leadership,” Among said.

What next for Anita Among?

Among’s political comeback is likely to attract considerable attention. Only months ago, her political career appeared to be in serious jeopardy.

She had lost the Speakership race, faced restrictions on her movements and was at the centre of investigations into allegations that threatened to bring one of the most powerful parliamentary careers in recent Ugandan history to an abrupt end.

Now she is free and preparing to resume her political duties.

Yet questions remain over the wider corruption investigation and the fate of several parliamentary officials and associates who remain in court.

The President’s decision has therefore closed one chapter of Among’s political crisis, but it has not necessarily ended the broader accountability debate surrounding the allegations that triggered the crackdown.

For Among, however, the immediate political reality is clear: the former Speaker has survived perhaps the most difficult period of her career.