UK SANCTIONS! Has Speaker Among’s plane finally crashed?

From the time she started handling clandestine political operations for President Museveni and the NRM by extension while still in FDC, then ascending to Deputy Speaker and later Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda, Anita Annet Among’s plane has been flying high and appeared on course to reach its destination.

And “she seemed in urgent need to get there”, according to observers.

But, recently, the plane has been experiencing some turbulence and as usual it seems it had been built to handle the worst.

However, another severe turbulence has come in: the UK sanctions slapped against her last week.

According to watchers, she may not survive this global assault, with some speculating that it may derail her flight for sometime if not forever.

“She has been battling with local forces [over alleged corruption, unhappy NRM honchos, exorbitant parliament expenditure, unfair job recruitments at parliament, opulence… etc], but she now has to take her battles on the global stage after these UK sanctions. Remember she cannot go to the U.S. To me, this is a war she can’t win. I don’t see her surviving this. Her plane has crashed. She must accept this. Don’t think political leaders here are fools and oblivious of international diplomacy. She will soon see how statecraft works,” opines a local observer.

The Speaker is already on a U.S travel ban list.

This, according to observers, implies that she will never find freedom or comfort in the West and their associates.

“Unless a miracle happens she will soon become a western pariah. And that’s bad for all her economic, social and political ambitions. It is very unfortunate for her,” said a source who serves in Uganda’s Foreign Service.

Her predecessor, Jacob Oulanyah died in a U.S hospital, however, with this new development, she can’t be admitted there, neither in any of the European countries’ health facilities who are key allies of the USA and UK, according to observers.

More so, all her financial dealings or activities will be keenly monitored and restricted.

It believed her dollar accounts held in various banks both in Uganda and abroad have already been frozen, according to well knowledgeable sources.

UK individuals and businesses are prohibited from dealing with finances or other resources in which the Speaker has a stake.

Most of the financial institutions here in Uganda with direct links to the West have reportedly red flagged her individual bank accounts.

Even those without direct links to the West are consulting on how to deal with this problem.

Even those where she is just a signatory have been affected.

At this point, any transaction via UK based financial service providers or popular US payment firms like Visa and Mastercard will also be reconsidered as long as there is a name Anita Among.

Any of the Speaker’s finances and assets in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland (which form the UK), or any overseas British territory have been frozen.

Among says she has no property in the UK—not even a single pussy cat.

But unconfirmed reports indicate that the sanctions will have a direct effect on the Speaker’s estimated 8 million British Pound Sterling (GBP) or Shs37.8bn of investments and savings.

It is not clear whether these are held in Uganda, abroad or both.

The sanctions will also reportedly curtail the Speaker’s influence on the global stage, since she cannot travel freely, and also deny her opportunities to cultivate and make important friendships and allies for her alleged future political maneuvers.

It is believed Among is nursing future presidential ambitions and had hopes to ride on the Speakership to make very important political inroads.

But with these sanctions around, even her re-election bid as Bukedea Woman Mp and later Speaker, will be a huge mountain for her to climb in 2026, according to observers.

“Even if she wins the Woman Mp seat, will the right thinking NRM members maintain a western pariah as their Speaker? Only time will tell,” said a source interviewed by this publication.

Sources tell us that apparently NRM honchos are not happy with the current Speaker and some have called her a ‘political accident’ in NRM.

Are current developments (UK sanctions), part of the broader strategy to weaken Among by NRM insiders?

Whether there is an invisible hand from the NRM politburo or not, the UK sanctions play in their strategy.

We are told the plan is to politically weaken Among come 2026 and beyond.

We recently revealed how a splinter group is emerging within the NRM and it is plotting a new party.

Highly placed sources inside the party have confided in this publication that this breakaway group largely consists of NRM honchos from the East.

And in the grand scheme of things, they anticipate this new political party to swallow Teso, Bugisu and Busoga sub regions.

Clandestine plans are underway to make sure it will have gained momentum by 2031.

This move is alive inside NRM by people who feel incumbent President Museveni will be a spent force by 2031.

This splinter group is reportedly led by Among allies.

Intelligence gathered shows that they have a huge following among opposition MPs and former opposition MPs who have crossed to NRM.

They also believe it is time for the East to produce a president.

The UK Deputy Foreign Minister Andrew Mitchell, while announcing the sanctions, condemned the Speaker and Co of taking aid (Iron sheets meant for Karamoja people) from those who need it most, and keeping the proceeds an act which he said tantamount to corruption at its worst and has no place in society.

In the wake of this scandal, President Museveni said government officials who diverted iron sheets meant for Karamoja and used them for personal benefit should be charged with theft.

“The second issue is those who took Mabaati for personal use. This is not just a political mistake, it is theft,” said Museveni in his letter to Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja on April 3, 2023.

Gen.Museveni said those who took the Iron Sheets to their constituencies had committed ‘political bribery’ and asked them to bring them back or equivalent value in money.

He also vowed to punish them politically in his own style.

Among received 500 pieces of Iron Sheets. They were picked from OPM using car registration number UG0582Z on 25 June, 2022. The driver who picked them has been identified as Denis Matsiko.

One Amongi, a Head teacher at Bukedea Comprehensive School (BCS) received them on her behalf. They were also witnessed by one John Mwanje who is the school’s store keeper. BCS is owned by Speaker Among and recently revealed that she harvests about Shs2bn in annual profits from this school alone.

Among bought and replaced iron sheets.

But here comes global sanctions over the same.

WHO IS FIGHTING THE SPEAKER INTERNATIONALLY

Internationally, the Speaker and her allies believe it is to do with the currently passed Anti-Homosexuality law.

“The iron sheets have been used as a ruse to conceal the real, unstated but clearly obvious reason for the sanctions which is the Rt. Hon. Speaker’s stance on the recently enacted Anti-Homosexuality Act,” said Chris Obore, the Director of Communication at Parliament, a view held by the Speaker’s allies.

Among says she is now carrying the cross of 48million Ugandans for her bold step to preserve Ugandan culture.

Allegations from her camp are that Agora Discourse, an activist group that led the citizen action dubbed #UgandaParliamentExhibition is the vehicle where money is being channeled to fight the Speaker for her stance against same-s3x relationships.

“And there is evidence of money being sent to this organization and security has taken interest while at the same time investigating their allegations of corruption in parliament,” sources say.

She went on to urge East African parliamentarians to follow Uganda’s lead in passing the Anti-Homosexuality Bill. During a meeting with EAC state parliament speakers in Arusha, Tanzania, conducted via Zoom, Among called for regional support to combat homosexuality.

She emphasized protecting Ugandan morals, values, and future generations.

In reaction, Gay rights activists in the UK and Uganda have been urging the British government to act.

WHO IS FIGHTING THE SPEAKER LOCALLY

NRM CEC JOB

When the NRM chairman who is also President Yoweri Museveni recently launched the party’s register update as part of the roadmap to the 2026 elections, different camps went into jostling.

A source in the NRM has told our Intelligence Briefing desk that the anticipated party elections have pitted top guns from Eastern Uganda against each other. Rt. Hon Among for example has privately expressed interest in contesting for the 2nd National Vice Chairperson – Female, on the party’s top organ, Central Executive Committee (CEC).

The position is currently occupied by her nemesis, Rt. Hon Rebecca Kadaga, a former Speaker of Parliament and First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of East African Affairs has been holding the same position since 2005 when it was created.

We are told while Kadaga is still interested in the same position, she is also eyeing the Speaker position in the next government following the 2026 elections.

We shall return to this later.

However, sections of party members feel it is too early to allow Rt. Hon Among ascend to an all-powerful position like that in the party.

“They [section of NRM members] feel the Johnny-come-latelies like Speaker Among and her Deputy Tayebwa are rising at a terrific speed and they must be checked,” our source reasoned.

“Many NRM cadres feel they have done a lot for the party and should be the ones occupying such powerful positions. So, there is an element of envy in all this,” a source further explained partly the source of resentment towards Among.

Some have reached the extent of referring to her as a ‘political accident’ in the NRM party and they are out to fight her through all available means overtly and covertly.

We are told the plan is to expose Among as much as possible such that by the time the powers that be make a final decision, no one will be there to sympathize with her.

We are further told the recent leaks about the Speaker’s expenditure are all deliberate and intended to leave her naked and vulnerable for any eventuality.

However, the sources add, the Speaker is engaged in clandestine behind-the-scenes political operations with the blessings of the NRM party chairman, Gen. Museveni.

“The party chairman is happy with whatever she is doing for him politically and that’s why he keeps rewarding her in such ways,” a source revealed.

KADAGA, VP CAMP

We promised to return to this. In the grand scheme of things, another well-placed source has told us that camps have emerged to jostle for different top-party positions. One of these positions is that of CEC Vice Chairperson (Female), a coveted position and highly competitive.

“When Among targeted it, its occupant Rt Hon Kadaga went to the drawing board and is plotting to bounce back for a Speakership job in 2026 and is currently mobilizing,” said a security source privy to these political schemes.

We are told to easily coordinate these efforts; Kadaga has managed to team up with Vice President Jessica Alupo (a known political rival in Teso politics), General Duties minister (Office of the Prime Minister), Justine Lumumba Kasule, State Minister for Lands, Persis Namuganza, and Gender minister Betty Amongi.

“To cement and bring their political attack team to the forefront, this squad was very active in Vice President Alupo’s home ground in Katakwi during the International Women’s Day celebrations. Even Kadaga managed to move with a huge delegation from her home district of Kamuli to show she still holds a strategic influence in the party. The Vice President used the occasion to assure the president that the team was endorsing him for the next presidency in 2026,” our source says.

Speaker Among camp is now pointing fingers at the Kadaga-VP alliance for leading efforts to undermine the former on all fronts.

The camp further accuses the powerful alliance of even plotting to front Kadaga to reclaim her Speakership seat which she previously occupied for ten years, before she was replaced by the Late Jacob Oulanyah.

POST 2026 UNCERTAINTY

Two sources tell us that a cloud of uncertainty has started hanging over a possible future without President Museveni at the helm of the NRM party in the post-2031 period.

While the president is almost certain of winning the next election given the chaos that has engulfed the opposition ranks of late, NRM insiders believe by 2031, Museveni, 79, will have clocked 85 years and probably unable to effectively hold sway over the party that shall have ruled Uganda for 45 years.

At that point, some NRM members are not sure if President Museveni would also be able to bounce back, hence the young Turks like Among jostling to command influence over parliament and beyond in areas such as community groups, women groups, youth groups, the churches, and mosques.

Thus, huge sweeping changes within the party are anticipated between 2026 and 2031 as Museveni paves the way for a likely successor and many will be affected.

While the NRM policy is that a Speaker of Parliament who usually comes from the majority NRM membership is allowed to serve two terms, Among is not sure she will be Speaker in the next term now that Kadaga has silently joined the ring.

And given Museveni’s plan to redirect the party, he might rescind this policy, Among’s tacticians reveal through our sources.

“Thus the fear is that some changes may affect Among chances to bounce back for Speaker beyond 2026. That’s why the Kadaga camp is reportedly preparing for anything including positioning themselves,” the source adds.

The camp is said to have a lot of sympathizers particularly those who are not happy with Among’s rising star who could also have the signs of the lady from the east having eyes on the presidency.

“Her wings must be clipped early by the deep state with other interests,” our sources reasoned.

CSR CASH

The Speaker’s name has appeared prominently in the seemingly exorbitant expenditures with her staff swimming in alleged daily exorbitant per-diems.

Her staff have been accused of spending heavily and questionably on parliament’s Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR), allowing money meant for her office to go through the individual accounts of junior staffers and others.

Whereas parliament like any other government institution can’t be devoid of scrutiny, watchers say this has gone overboard and appears to be a coordinated campaign targeting the Speaker as an individual.

Among queries that have featured prominently is the money deposited on personal accounts of some of parliament’s junior staff on behalf of Speaker Anita Among’s activities dubbed Corporate social responsibility (CSR).

CSR is a strategy undertaken by companies not just to grow profits, but also to take an active and positive social role in the world around them. The term is also associated with the related term corporate citizenship.

While the speaker’s office is allocated Shs 3.6 billion for these activities, they are dispensed in cash because anticipated recipients are not itemized in the government electronic payment system known as EFMIS. Most of the beneficiaries under the Speaker’s CSR budget have been churches, mosques, schools, and women’s groups among others.

Sources tell us that these cash bonanzas dubbed as CSR have benefited over 300 MPs who occasionally present personal and constituency-related financial issues.

The reason why it can’t go through government financial systems like EFMIS is because of the nature of beneficiaries, sources say.

“This money is normally given out in cash. The way you always see President Museveni giving out cash in envelopes. And most of the beneficiaries (churches, women’s groups, individuals, and others) are not on IFMIS. This is why this money is withdrawn from the bank by parliament staff on behalf of the Speaker and then given out in cash to various beneficiaries and it is always accounted for at the end,” emphasized an insider at Parliament.

It is not only the Speaker’s office that has a huge CSR budget; even other government institutions have got.

For example, the State House is allocated Shs 59 billion to spend annually on community outreach programs which is exhausted before a supplementary envelope is dispatched by parliament.

The President alone himself spends Shs. 77 billion, the Vice President (Shs. 4.2 billion), the Prime Minister (Shs. 3.7 billion), her deputies (Shs 954 million each), Government Chief whip (Shs 1.8 billion), Deputy speaker (Shs 1.8 billion), National Council for Sports (Shs. 2 billion) and so many others. All these monies are properly budgeted and approved by parliament.

We are told President Museveni advised these government institutions including parliament to stop direct involvement in every fundraising but instead have a specific budget to cater for that under CSR arrangement.