SURVIVAL INSTINCT? How Fear of Mbabazi Fate Forced Speaker Among to Backtrack On 2031 Presidency Bid
In a dramatic political climbdown that has set tongues wagging across the country, Speaker of Parliament Anita Annet Among has moved swiftly to kill off talk of a 2031 presidential bid, declaring she will instead retire from active politics—sparking speculation of fear, survival instinct, and lessons drawn from those who dared before her.
It is a public secret within the ruling NRM that anyone who even hints at eyeing the seat of Yoweri Museveni risks instant political isolation—treated, as insiders crudely put it, like an Ebola patient: quarantined, cut off, and ultimately crushed.
And Among, widely seen as a shrewd operator, is not about to take that gamble.
On Monday, she came out guns blazing to clear the air.
Speaking in Kampala during a high-profile charity event, the Speaker dismissed reports linking her to a 2031 presidential run, insisting such claims were baseless. At the event, she contributed a whopping UGX 100 million to the “MK Run,” an initiative marking the 52nd birthday of Muhoozi Kainerugaba scheduled for April 26, 2026.
“I have heard some people saying Anita Among wants to stand for the presidency in 2031. I want to tell Ugandans that in 2031, I am retiring from active politics,” she declared, branding the speculation as “rubbish” and “total nonsense.”
Among went even further, playing down any appetite for higher office, arguing that even the role of a Member of Parliament is demanding enough—hardly the words of someone positioning for State House.
But political observers aren’t buying it wholesale.
To understand the weight of her words, many are revisiting the political downfall of Amama Mbabazi, once one of the most powerful men in government. Between 2014 and 2016, Mbabazi dared to challenge Museveni—and paid dearly.
He lost his positions as Prime Minister and NRM Secretary General. His influence crumbled. The final nail came when then little-known legislator Evelyn Anite tabled a Kyankwanzi resolution declaring Museveni the sole NRM presidential candidate. Mbabazi’s rebellion fizzled, managing just 136,519 votes on the Go Forward ticket before he was politically isolated and abandoned—even by allies he once trusted.
Insiders say Among has studied that script closely—and is determined not to follow it.
Yet behind Monday’s bold declarations, a different story is quietly unfolding.
Sources close to the Speaker say that before this public denial, she had increasingly been “behaving presidential” and projecting the aura of a future contender. Her rising influence in Parliament and across political structures has not gone unnoticed.
Meanwhile, Museveni, four decades in power, has not publicly indicated any plans to retire, leaving the 2031 succession question hanging in the air.
Two well-placed sources reveal that uncertainty is already creeping into the NRM about a future without Museveni at the helm. While he won the recent election, by 2031 he will be 85—raising questions within party ranks about his long-term grip.
It is within this vacuum that younger power brokers like Among are quietly consolidating influence—tightening their grip on Parliament and extending networks into community groups, women leagues, youth blocs, churches, and mosques.
There is also anxiety within her camp about internal party changes that could affect her own political survival. While NRM tradition allows a Speaker two terms, there are whispers that Museveni could reshuffle or even scrap such arrangements as he repositions the party ahead of 2031.
That uncertainty alone could explain Among’s cautious tone.
But the intrigue doesn’t stop there.
Highly placed sources have disclosed the emergence of a quiet but calculated splinter movement within the NRM, largely driven by eastern Uganda power brokers. The group is said to be laying groundwork for a potential breakaway political force targeting key regions like Teso, Bugisu, and Busoga.
The ambition? To build momentum by 2031 and possibly reshape Uganda’s political landscape.
This shadowy formation is reportedly backed by allies of Among and a powerful NRM figure from the same region who used to sit on top party’s organ. Intelligence suggests they are already attracting support from opposition MPs and defectors who have crossed into the ruling party.
Their rallying cry is simple but potent: it is time for Eastern Uganda to produce a president, after Buganda, the North, and the West have all had their turn.
For now, AAA insists she is stepping away from the presidential race before it even begins.
But in Uganda’s high-stakes political chessboard—where ambition is whispered, denied, and carefully managed—the question remains:
Is this a genuine retirement plan… or a strategic retreat to survive another day?
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