For days now, public conversation has revolved around Speaker Anita Among’s wealth,the expensive cars,the luxurious homes, the iron sheets scandal e.t.c. Corruption allegations have dominated every headline. But many political analysts suggest the real reason President Museveni’s inner circle is moving against her has little to do with stolen public funds. The truth is about power.
President Museveni and his inner circle are terrified because Anita Among has accumulated too much power over MPs. And there is talk of a new law coming, one where the president would be voted for by Parliament instead of the whole country. If that happens, they cannot afford to have Anita as the speaker. Not with the network she has built. Not with the MPs she has already paid off. And now, with her term officially expired and Parliament waiting to elect a new Speaker, that fear has reached a boiling point.
Consider this. If this whole sage was genuinely about corruption, why are the proper channels not being used? Uganda has courts of law. It has an Inspector General of Government. It has a Director of Public Prosecutions. So where is the case file? Where is the evidence presented before a judge? Why are we only hearing whispers in corridors and leaks to the press instead of witnessing an arrest? The answer is obvious. This is not about justice. This is about power. You do not need a court to destroy a political rival. You need a political war. And with the speakership now vacant, that war is entering its most dangerous phase.
According to several political analysts, the battle for speakership will define the next five years. It has nothing to do with allegedly stealing public funds. It has everything to do with transition. Museveni is not growing any younger. Everyone is quietly thinking about the day he will no longer be in charge though many point at his son as his successor. The pressure on Anita Among comes from one simple fact: she has built her own power base in Parliament. A substantial one. And that is something Museveni has never allowed anyone to do. Now that her term has ended and she must seek re-election, Museveni’s camp sees a golden opportunity to block her return to the Speaker’s chair.
A quick look at Museveni’s history reveals a clear pattern. The graveyard of NRM politics is filled with those who once flew too high, the likes of Amama Mbabazi who was once a Prime Minister and widely seen as the heir apparent. Today? A political ghost. Kale Kaihura served as Inspector General of Police for years, building a formidable security network, only to be pushed aside like yesterday’s news. Jim Muhwezi, a powerful minister and intelligence insider, was cut down. John Nasasira. Sam Kutesa. The list goes on. The pattern never changes. Museveni systematically cuts the wings of anyone who grows too powerful within his party. He tolerates no rival standing beside him. Anita Among is now learning that the same scissors are being sharpened for her.
For years, President Museveni selected Speakers who posed no real threat to his power, the likes of Francis Ayume from UPC. Edward Sekandi from DP. Rebecca Kadaga. They were capable managers and loyal soldiers. Useful, but never kingmakers. Anita Among broke that mould. She became too strong. And now that her term has expired, They wouldn’t allow her to return.
What exactly did she do during her time as Speaker? First, she secured a tight grip on Parliament, using its substantial budget to lock in the loyalty of MPs. But the real red line came when she decided to run for National Vice Chairperson of the NRM against Rebecca Kadaga. She went to the grassroots. She captured the party structure from the bottom up. And a newcomer won by over 80 percent. Many analysts believe this was the moment she signed her own political death warrant. Now that her speakership term has expired, those who have been waiting for their chance are finally making their move.
The only domain she does not control yet is the security apparatus, the army, the police, and intelligence services. Those remain firmly under the command of the CDF, who happens to be Museveni’s son. That is one fortress she has not breached. At least not yet.
Now consider what keeps Museveni’s camp awake at night. There is serious discussion about introducing a law that would see the president elected by Members of Parliament instead of the whole country. Think about that. If such a law passes, the Speaker of Parliament becomes the most dangerous office in the land. Why? Because the Speaker controls the MPs. And Anita Among has already paid off a significant number of MPs to her side. She has built a parliamentary network that is loyal to her first. With her term expired and MPs about to vote for a new Speaker, the question on everyone’s mind is whether those MPs would remain loyal to her or abandon her for a new candidate backed by president Museveni.
This presents a nightmare scenario for President Museveni. The thought keeps him up at night: what if Among one day decides she wants to run for presidency? What if she uses those MPs to vote her into office? The proposed law would allow it. She would have the numbers. That is precisely why Museveni’s would never allow her to return. That is why they want her removed before that law ever sees the light of day. And with the speakership election now imminent, they are pulling every string to ensure she does not return to that position.
To be fair to her, Among has consistently professed loyalty to President Museveni. She says it publicly. She has never spoken against him. She executed his agenda in Parliament. She kept MPs in line on his behalf. But here is the problem. In politics, loyalty today does not guarantee loyalty tomorrow. Especially when power is at stake. Museveni has been in power long enough to know that the person who smiles the most may be holding a knife behind their back. He has watched it happen to other leaders. He does not want it to happen to him. As Parliament prepares to vote for the next Speaker, Museveni must choose someone he can truly trust. A loyal follower. Not a potential rival.
This is Museveni’s dilemma. For the duration of her term, he kept Anita Among because she was useful. Very useful. She achieved twice his objectives with only 20 percent of the resources he once spent on Parliament. She controlled MPs. She handled the dirty work. But the fear has always been about the future. Can he trust her if that law passes? Can he trust her if she has hundreds of MPs in her pocket? History says no. History says she will prioritise her own interests. That prospect terrifies the establishment. And now, with the speakership up for grabs, Museveni faces a choice he has been avoiding for years.
Ultimately, the anti-corruption campaign is a smokescreen. The establishment is not genuinely shocked by her materialism. Ugandans have tolerated corruption for decades. What frightens them is her organisation. She has built a genuine political machine. And with the proposed constitutional change looming, that machine could one day be used to capture the highest office in the land. That is the real threat. Not the corruption scandals as many allege. As Parliament gathers to elect a new Speaker, the coming days will reveal whether Museveni has finally decided to act.
Nevertheless, Anita Among should study the fates of Amama Mbabazi, Gen. Kale Kaihura, and Jim Muhwezi. In Museveni’s NRM, the moment you grow wings, the president reaches for the scissors. She may declare her loyalty until she is blue in the face, but Museveni has heard such promises before. From men who are now nothing but political dust.
The question is not whether Museveni will act. The question is when. And how severely. The speakership election is that moment. My advice to Anita Among is simple. Watch your back. In this game, nobody receives a second warning. And Museveni does not share power. Not with anyone. Not now. Not ever.
For God and My Country.
