SPEAKER ANITA AMONG SANCTIONS: Parliament Speaks Out

Parliament of Uganda has spoken out Speaker Anita Among sanctions as imposed by the UK. According to the UK government, Speaker Anita Among “benefited from the proceeds” of the Karamoja iron sheets scandal.

Also sanctioned, according to an announcement by UK deputy foreign secretary Andrew Mitchell, are Dr Mary Goretti Kitutu, the former minister for Karamoja affairs, and her junior minister Agness Nandutu.

Now, Parliament has spoken out on Speaker Anita Among sanctions following an announcement by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Parliament spokesperson Chris Obore has accused the UK of listening to their agents in Uganda and choosing to bring down Speaker Anita Among through unsubstantiated claims.

Obore, who returned to his person after Anita Among became deputy speaker in 2021, also said the country has relevant institutions which should investigate allegations of corruption when they came up.

“Uganda has regulatory, investigatory and disciplinary institutions that deal with corruption and so far none of them has found the speaker culpable or even called out the speaker. Therefore, the corruption allegations are as political and vendetta -driven as they come,” said Obore in the wake of Speaker Anita Among sanctions.

“The action of the UK could imply that they are active participants in Uganda’s local politics, thus targeting high-ranking national leaders at the urging of their foreign agents.”

Obore also issued a statement. Below is part of it:

“The iron sheets have been used as a ruse to conceal the real, unstated but clearly obvious reason for the sanctions – which is the Rt. Hon Speaker’s stance on the recently enacted Anti-Homosexuality Act.

The truth is that the iron sheets were in fact distributed to public schools, and Mr Andrew Mitchell – who was vocal in condemning the Rt. Hon Speaker Among for enacting the Anti-Homosexuality Act – did not, in his statement, indicate how exactly the Rt. Hon Speaker derived personal benefit from them.

It is important that foreign partners, including the United Kingdom, respect the sovereignty of Uganda, and avoid the temptation to meddle into our local politics, including arm-twisting decision makers to align with their value system, especially on homosexuality.”

Read our earlier story on Speaker Anita Among sanctions Here.

Speaker Anita Among was one of the ‘big fish’ who were cleared of wrongdoing in the theft of iron sheets as the director of public prosecutions blamed the powerful officials’ personal assistants for misleading them. (See Details Here, There and Over There).

Weeks ago, when alleged Parliament corruption was exposed, Speaker Anita Among swept it under the carpet and blamed homosexuals for fighting her. The speaker faces US visa restrictions over the anti-homosexuality law. (See Details Here and There).

Meanwhile, her co-sanctioned, ministers Kitutu and Nandutu, they continue to face court over theft of iron sheets. Last month, Museveni fired Kitutu and Nandutu. (See Details Here and There).

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