Agency
Security agencies on Saturday mounted coordinated raids on properties linked to Speaker of Parliament Anita Among over suspected corruption.
The operation, involving officers from the Crime Intelligence and Investigations Directorate (CID) and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), targeted Among’s upscale residence in Nakasero.
The operatives sealed off other properties associated with her in Kololo and Kigo.
Investigators are said to be pursuing documents and financial records linked to allegations of illicit wealth accumulation, money laundering, abuse of office, and possible violations of Uganda’s Leadership Code Act.
The action comes barely three days after the swearing-in of newly elected legislators and before Parliament elects its Speaker on May 25.
Critics of have accused her of illicitly amassing wealth from suspected corruption in the Parliament she has headed since the death of Jacob Oulanya.
The latest scrutiny intensified after lawyers and civil society activists petitioned Inspector General of Government Aisha Batala Naluzze, accusing Among of failing to fully declare her assets and living beyond what could reasonably be explained by official earnings.
Petitioners pointed to luxury properties and a reported Rolls-Royce Cullinan valued at over 3.5 billions of shillings as symbols of suspected unexplained wealth. Lady Justice Naluzze Aisha Batala, Inspector General of Government (IGG) has since confirmed receipt of the complaint and announced investigations into the allegations.
In 2024, both the United Kingdom and the United States imposed sanctions on Among over allegations linked to corruption and abuse of office connected to the diversion of iron sheets meant for vulnerable communities in Karamoja under a government relief program.
Although Among denied wrongdoing, the sanctions significantly damaged her international standing and amplified domestic criticism over governance and accountability.
The raids come amid growing signs of political distancing within sections of the ruling establishment. The Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), a political pressure group associated with First Son and military commander Muhoozi Kainerugaba, reportedly withdrew its earlier support for Among’s bid to retain the speakership.
Meanwhile, CID’s summons of Clerk to Parliament Adolf Mwesige Kasaija over alleged expenditure irregularities on Friday suggests investigators may be widening their focus beyond the Speaker personally to broader parliamentary financial management structures.
The arrest of Masaka City Woman MP Justine Namere, one of Among’s outspoken allies, added another layer of uncertainty to an already tense political environment.
