Among’s own conduct may have become the catalyst for her political troubles

By Ocama Ongwech Alli Abba

It is increasingly evident that President Museveni’s reported directive to the Inspector General of Government (IGG) to investigate allegations of corruption, unexplained wealth accumulation, abuse of office and procurement irregularities linked to Parliament under Speaker Anita Among was never going to remain an ordinary accountability exercise.

From all indications, the inquiry appears broader, deeper and more political than many initially assumed. It likely draws heavily from intelligence briefings and internal state assessments regarding the evolving balance of power within Uganda’s political establishment.

However, in my view, the allegations themselves may not necessarily be the primary reason behind the apparent political effort to edge Anita Among out of the Speakership race.

The deeper concern appears to revolve around the rapid political and financial consolidation of influence around one individual within a relatively short period of time.

In less than five years as Speaker, Anita Among has emerged not merely as a parliamentary leader but as a political centre of gravity with growing influence across the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), sections of the Opposition, religious institutions, cultural establishments and parts of the public service.

That kind of influence inevitably attracts suspicion within any long-standing political system built around centralised authority.

The issue, therefore, may not simply be corruption. It may be power.

Politics everywhere is fundamentally about managing threats, whether real, perceived or potential. Within Uganda’s current political structure, the emergence of any figure capable of building an independent patronage network strong enough to command personal loyalty naturally raises concern.

Anita Among appears to have crossed that invisible line.

If a political figure can, within one parliamentary term, construct a network of loyalists spanning multiple political and institutional sectors, then power centres within the establishment inevitably begin asking themselves what such an individual could become within the next decade.

In politics, ambitions are rarely declared openly. They are instead interpreted through patterns, networks and influence.

Among’s growing public visibility, strategic religious engagements, frequent international appearances and expanding connections within political structures may have increasingly been viewed not merely as ceremonial duties of a Speaker, but as indicators of long-term political positioning.

Whether such perceptions are fair or not becomes almost irrelevant once the political establishment begins to treat them as credible possibilities.

At the same time, Uganda’s political history demonstrates that accumulation of wealth by powerful insiders is not necessarily unusual. Many influential figures within the system have accumulated substantial wealth over the years while carefully maintaining low visibility and avoiding unnecessary public attention.

The unwritten rule has often been simple: accumulate quietly, avoid public provocation and never appear bigger than the system itself.

This is where Anita Among may have made a fatal political miscalculation.

The public display of wealth — particularly at a time when ordinary Ugandans are grappling with economic pressure, unemployment and rising public frustration — transformed her from merely a powerful insider into a visible political liability.

The Rolls Royce controversy may seem symbolic on the surface, but politically it carried deeper implications.

It amplified public anger, embarrassed sections of the ruling establishment and exposed the government to intensified domestic and international scrutiny regarding corruption, inequality and misuse of public office.

In systems built on carefully managed political optics, perception often matters more than legality.

By openly displaying extraordinary wealth while presiding over Parliament, Anita Among unintentionally shifted attention not only onto herself, but onto the broader networks of privilege and corruption embedded within the state.

That is rarely forgiven in political systems where stability depends heavily on controlling public perception.

At the same time, Uganda’s political succession dynamics are gradually evolving.

As President Museveni advances in age, more influence increasingly appears to be consolidating around Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba and the political forces aligned to him.

In such an environment, competing centres of influence are unlikely to be tolerated for long.

The unfolding political developments surrounding the Speakership race therefore appear less about parliamentary leadership and more about internal power management within the ruling system itself.

Ultimately, Anita Among’s current troubles may not primarily stem from the allegations facing her, but from the perception that she had become too powerful, too visible and too politically independent within a system that traditionally discourages alternative power centres.

It can therefore reasonably be argued that Anita Among’s own conduct may have become the principal catalyst for her political downfall.