Timothy Kalyegira, a respected researcher, shed light on a recent meeting between President Museveni (referred to as “M7”) and the UK High Commissioner. According to Kalyegira, during this meeting, M7 may have dismissed London’s claim regarding a property owned by Anita Among, Uganda’s Speaker of Parliament. However, M7 reportedly learned that the UK possesses a comprehensive list of properties owned by every Ugandan government official. This revelation left M7 unsettled, prompting him to take action regarding Among’s situation before the UK potentially leaks the full list. Notably, Among does not outright deny ownership of the property in question but challenges the UK to provide evidence linking her to it.
Kalyegira emphasized a key point made by Among, highlighting her statement regarding the specific properties she owns “AS Anita Annet Among.” This distinction suggests a challenge to the UK to prove her direct ownership, acknowledging that properties are often registered under third-party names. This detail underscores the complexity of the situation and the need for concrete evidence to support allegations of property ownership.
In response to these allegations, Chris Obore, the Director of Communications at Uganda’s Parliament, stated unequivocally that Speaker Anita Among does not own any property in the UK. He expressed a willingness to review the land title of the alleged property and dismissed the accusations as falsehoods with an expiration date. Obore highlighted President Museveni’s commitment to evidence-based decision-making, affirming that emotions would not influence his response to the situation.
Meanwhile, activist Godwin Toko added a perspective on the broader issue of corruption, suggesting that corrupt politicians would not openly purchase property in their own names. This observation adds context to the allegations against Among, implying that if she were truly corrupt, she would not have directly owned the contested property.
