Uganda’s anti-LGBTQI+ speaker at the center of a corruption scandal

Anita Among’s political career seems to be between a rock and hard place

COMMENTARY

By Joto La Jiwe

In what looks like a deliberate bid to redirect intense public scrutiny away from grave allegations implicating her in a seemingly multibillion-shilling corruption scandal, Uganda Parliament speaker Anita Among has attacked the LGBTQI+ community and the United States government, saying that they are fighting her because she supported the passing of the Anti-Homosexuality Act.

Among’s political career seems to be between a rock and hard place following the latest corruption scandal in her office.

An ongoing online campaign aimed at exposing the rot in the parliament of Uganda has uncovered evidence of massive corruption believed to be masterminded by the speaker herself.

It comes at a time when the United States and the United Kingdom have denied her travel visas because of her work on the Anti-Homosexuality Act.

According to documents obtained by the people behind the anti-corruption campaign and shared on social media, the speaker seems to be receiving huge sums of public funds by the channeling them through personal bank accounts of her close associates under the guise of conducting cooperate responsibility activities.

To be clear, this writer personally has not seen any proof that the alleged activities were carried out at the indicated costs.

Moving huge public funds through private accounts is outside of established public procurement processes, and goes against the 2015 Public Finance and Management Act.

Among has also been accused of awarding herself exorbitant travel allowances, a move that has not only surprised but angered many, including some inside the ruling National Resistance Movement party.

What is more surprising, however, is that, when she was asked to comment on the allegations on the floor of parliament, she did not either confirm or deny them. She instead rebuffed the allegations, saying it is a targeted campaign against her and Parliament due to her stance against homosexuality.

While addressing the Parliament’s plenary session on March 15, Among stated;

“I will never give you an answer on hearsay, or rumor-mongering. And we aren’t going to run this house on rumor-mongering. Me to answer you on hearsay, on things you have cooked up on social media because I have said no to bum-shafting [a crude term for homosexuality]?”

Despite the documented evidence provided by anonymous staff members in her own office, the speaker thinks that diversionary tricks are going to save her from answering hard questions and eventually being held accountable.

Among continued with her diversionary story when she was addressing her supporters in Bukedea District, which she represents as a woman member of Parliament.

However, this time she went on rampage, blaming not only “homosexuals” but also a former Speaker who, she alleged, wants to retake the position of Speaker.

“There are people saying they want to reclaim their seat of a Speaker. What did they leave there? What haven’t we done? You mean we don’t need a Speaker in Teso [the region and peoples of eastern Uganda]? May be I’m a better asset than them. I want to tell them that we’re still there”, Among said. She added:

“I am not going to calm down on the issue of homosexuality. I will continue condemning them. That business of bum-shafting people — children — must stop. The issue of fighting me on social media and then you say, ‘Anita resign’ — Resign and go where?”

But human rights advocates and the activists behind the online campaign will have none of her diversions.

Jimmy Kiberu, a social media influencer says:
This is diversionary and duplicitous. The speaker must carry her cross. Escaping to Teso to speak to innocent, clueless villagers (presumably with an after-feast) is an attempt to avoid accountability, public scrutiny and inevitable consequences. The latter may come in future”.

Dr. Frank Mugisha, an LGBTQI+ activist says:
“Homosexuality has for years been used as a distraction from the main issues, but now Ugandans are waking up, I guess. The claims by Among … were a distraction technique. It is the speaker who has been weaponizing LGBTQ+ persons to cover up for her shortcomings and divert the attention of Ugandans”.

Chris Obore, who is the Parliament’s lead communications person, is one of the staff members whose personal bank account allegedly received money on behalf the speaker.

Once a fierce anti-corruption advocate, Obore is now Among’s lead defender and a supporter of Among’s unbecoming behaviors.

During an X/Twitter conversation about the corruption scandal, Obore repeated the same lines used by Anita Among.

“We know that since Anita Among passed the homosexuality bill, the effort has been to bring her down” he said.

According to him, there is no corruption in Parliament. He claims that it is ‘the homosexuals and their promoters who are desirous of damaging Speaker Anita Among.

However, Agatha Atuhaire, an award-winning journalist and one of the people behind the campaign, begs to differ.

She says Obore, like his boss, is on a mission to discredit the information and character- assassinate the whistleblowers, while relying on the prejudices of a homophobic society.

Charles Mukiibi, an anti-corruption advocate, says, “AAA [Anita Annet Among] is finished. She can’t travel to the US, the UK and I believe other Western countries and now she has corruption painted all over her. In a civilized society, Among’s house would be a scene of crime like it was the case in South Africa.”

President Yoweri Museveni remains tightlipped on the issue and analysts believe that as he has always done for other obedient cadres, he will stand by this obedient cadre from Bukedea by having some “small fish” put behind bars in her place.