By Black Star
Photos: YouTube Screenshot|Wikimedia Commons
Time, indeed, can fly. But time—when given sometime—talks. Just as recently as early this year, the now-sworn-out vocal lawmaker and veteran newspaper journalist, Ibrahim Semujju-Nganda, prophesied in Parliament, thus; “We are all victims of this regime; whether you are opposition or NRM [the ruling National Resistance Movement].…” The equally sworn-out Speaker of the 11th Parliament [May 2021-May 2026] Anita Among, snivelling in her speakership chair, proudly curtly retorted: “At least I am not one of them [victim].”
But that was then and this is as now as May 16 when “The ‘Night of the Long Knives’ was a famously brutal political purge that took place in Nazi Germany from 30 June to 2 July 1934. I guess the dramatic purge of once-powerful Parliament Speaker Annet Anita Among, her allies and minions and the raids on her homes, are Uganda’s ‘Week of the Towering Spears’,” Uganda veteran print journalist, Charles Onyango-Obbo, said on X, May 17.
In the dusk of May 16, Security agencies—involving the police’s Crime Intelligence and Investigations Directorate and Uganda People’s Defence Force—coordinated raids and searches on the home and properties linked to the past-immediate speaker of the august House Anita Among over allegations of corruption, illegal and illicit self-enrichment as well as money laundering.
Only a week ago, traditional and new media were awash with stories of the former speaker having acquired for herself a British-made sophiscated Rolls-Royce Cullinan car worth over US$834,000. During the swearing-in ceremony of Gen Yoweri Museveni for the seventh elective term on May 12, it is alleged that she attended the ceremony wearing a dress worth about US$42.5 million when taxes are factored in.
In her tenure as Speaker, Among became famous for her lavish, but questionable donations at functions and everywhere else she could splash money. But what is now apparent is that Among did not read Robert Greene’s book; The 48 Laws of Power. “Never outshine the master: Always make those above you feel superior. In your desire to please or impress them, do not go too far in displaying your talents or you might accomplish the opposite—inspire fear and insecurity. Make your masters appear more brilliant than they are and you will attain the heights of power,” so states Law Number One.
It is recorded that in one of the churches fundraising drives, Museveni, through his past-immediate Vice-President, Jessica Alupo donated Shs50 million (about US$13,889). Among, on the other hand, outshined her master by doubling the donation: Shs100 million (approximately US$27,778). In her constituency where she remains the District Woman Representative, Among has constructed a secondary school, health sciences institute, teaching hospital and stadium; developments Museveni’s government did not do in the area or elsewhere in the country.
And to stimulate endearment from the First Family, in those schools, she went ahead to name some buildings after Museveni’s son, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba and his wife Charlotte.
“Whoever becomes the next speaker of Parliament should learn from [former speaker Rebecca] Kadaga and Among: There is no level of bootlicking that will ever make you special in the eyes of the [First] family. At the end of the day, you are only a tool being used to achieve a certain purpose,” says activist and narrative influencer, Gideon Nova Kwikiriza in a May 17 X post. “The best thing any leader can do is [to] serve Ugandans wholeheartedly. Don’t steal, don’t be selfish, just serve the people. Even if you only last one or two years in office,” Kwikiriza cajoles regrettably, “you will never regret it. Because no matter how foolishly or desperately you try to please the family, in the end, they will still either arrest you or humiliate you. The problem is that people never listen.”.
In a Uganda Broadcasting Corporation TV footage clipped from April 24 birthday dinner for Museveni’s son Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba in Kampala, Among, who denies the clip as AI-generated, was captured, thus; “For your information, members, I can proudly say we didn’t have opposition in the 11th Parliament and for the 12th Parliament is going to be walloped. When you wallop, nothing remains. This is going to be the easiest Parliament.” Among who has always fought hard to impress Museveni and his son, has instead lost the much-needed endearment of the duo. Muhoozi has since withdrawn his endorsement for Among as the next speaker of the 12th Parliament which starts on May 25 with election of the speaker.
According to lawyer, human rights activist and deputy team leader at Agora Centre for Research (AgoraCFR), Godwin Toko, “…with the exception of the man with a big hat [read Museveni’s trademark bow hat], no one ran a patronage network bigger than hers! Not even JPAM [Museveni’s former powerful prime minister, John Patrick Amama Mbabazi] or [former powerful Inspector-General of Police, Gen] Kale [Kayihura]! And it’s not just MPs, incoming [and] outgoing; I’m sure there are tens of judges who didn’t sleep last night [of May 16]!”
There are statutory taxman Uganda Revenue Authority staff, people at Bank of Uganda, Makerere, the police, people at the Inspectorate of Government, Uganda National Examinations Board, Federation of Uganda Football Association, the ruling National Resistance Movement Secretariat, tens of Resident District Commissioners, who did no sleep on the night of May 16, Toko alleges.
Toko goes on to list Chief Administrative Officers, pastors, bishops, priests, reverends, prophets, apostles, witchcraft practitioners, and hundreds of business people who are uneasily watching their gates and looking at their phones while hoping their names don’t come up somewhere! “As for the Uganda Electoral Commission [EC] and the electoral commission of the NRM, those were virtually her playthings! She simply asked [and] they delivered…She and her friends got the flags at NRM, then sailed through the general elections unopposed! Those who petitioned the EC hit a brick wall—the EC threatened some with arrests! Those who went to court met her judge; the one said to be on a retainer from her! …even some magistrates are said to be her magistrates! The system is unlikely to go all of it against her. If it does and leaves no stone unturned, it will be biggest purge since the Structural Adjustment Program in the 90s,” Toko said on May 17.
AgoraCFR has been showcasing corruption at Parliament under Among’s speakership since the Parliament Exhibition in 2024. The security raids on Among’s home and properties follow the May 15 announcement by the Ombudsman, Lady Justice Aisha Naluzze that her office had formally received a complaint from a group of lawyers and activists; including AgoraCFR, in which Among stands accused of breaching the Leadership Code Act by allegedly not declaring her wealth and unexplained assets. No had sooner had Naluzze talked of starting investigations into Among’s questionable opulence than the security raids followed. The US and UK had already sanctioned Among over corruption allegations.
Toko goes on May 17; “Parliament Exhibition of 2024: Classsic African politician! She blamed white people and homosexuals for all Uganda’s problems while stashing millions of euros, dollars and tens of billions of Uganda shillings at her private houses and used some of it to buy the latest British-made Rolls-Royce at a time millions of Ugandans can’t predict where their next meal will come from, if it does [come at all].”
Main Opposition National Unity Platform secretary-general, David Lewis Rubongoya says suddenly, the people who always mock the opposition’s fight against abductions are decrying the very abductions they have always defended and christened ‘arrests’. “They will soon have lawyers filing Habeas Corpus and other applications for their rights to be upheld. All of a sudden, they will remember that there is a document called the Constitution with guarantees of liberty and fair trials. Everyone eventually realises that they need to or needed to have fought for the rule of law. The things we say every day about good governance, human rights and the rule of law are not mere academic concepts. They’re like breath—all of us need them to live and thrive. Sadly, many people learn this when it is too late!” the lawyer submits.
And according to Strategic Communicator and Behavioral Change Expert, Andrew Kamagero corruption is not merely the stealing of money. “It is the assassination of possibility. Every stolen coin is: a child denied medicine, a graduate denied opportunity, a mother denied dignity, a nation denied destiny. And history is merciless with leaders who convert national trust into personal appetite. For sooner or later, the tears of the neglected citizens become the vocabulary of what is happening now,” his X post reads on May 17.
