West Budama Central Member of Parliament (MP) Jacob Oboth-Oboth was on Monday declared Speaker of the 12th Parliament, defeating Jinja South East MP Paul Mwiru and his Laroo-Pece Division counterpart Nobert Mao by a landslide.
The election, conducted during the first sitting of the 12th Parliament at Kololo Independence Grounds, was presided over by Chief Justice Flavian Zeija, who announced Mr Oboth-Oboth, 55, the winner with 441 votes of the 519 votes cast. Mr Mwiru came second with 60 votes, and Mr Mao managed 15 votes. Invalid or spoiled votes were three.
Mr Oboth-Oboth’s election finally draws the curtain on Ms Anita Annet Among’s four-year tenure as Speaker of the 11th Parliament, a role she assumed on March 25, 2022, following the death of Jacob Oulanyah on March 20, 2022, in Seattle, US.
Ms Among had, on May 17, opted out of the speakership race for the 12th Parliament following security operations at her residences in Nakasero, Kigo and Bukedea District, all linked to an ongoing State investigation into alleged corruption-related offences and claims of illicit enrichment.
In a statement, Ms Among, 53, said her decision not to contest was taken after ‘wide consultations and deep introspection’ and aimed to ‘preserve harmony and clarity within the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).’
Now that she is out and Mr Oboth-Oboth is in, what is next for the embattled former Speaker? Analysts say having been stripped of her ‘untouchable’ status, Ms Among’s most predictable path is to accept a quiet life, secondary deployment as a special envoy or advisor, take a radical stance of exposing State secrets to prove her financial excesses were sanctioned by the regime, or to outrightly oppose President Museveni.
Fleeing to exile has, however, been described as ‘a logistical dead-end’ due to international sanctions slapped against her. In 2024, the UK imposed sanctions on Ugandan politicians, including Ms Among, following allegations of corruption. It was the first time that the UK government used the Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions regime on individuals involved in corruption in Kampala.
Subsequently, Ms Among was subjected to travel bans and asset freezes. Mr Julius Galisonga, a senior advocate and managing partner at Strand Advocates, said the recent happenings have undermined Ms Among’s credibility, moral authority and confidence that many people had in her leadership.
‘It all depends on what her grand scheme of events was; whatever it is, the short-term requires her to first be humble,’ Mr Galisonga said in an interview on Monday.
He added: ‘The recent events show that the people around her are either cowards who buckle under the slightest pressure and maybe didn’t like her that much, or were simply spies. So, let her sit back and evaluate all her relationships and then decide who to move forward with.’
Mr Galisonga said Ms Among had positioned herself as being too powerful, too connected and so close to President Museveni, the reason she probably thought she could be beyond reproach.
‘Ms Perry Aritua, the Executive Director of Women Democracy Network-Uganda Chapter, said if there are some cases that may be brought before court against her; so, she, together with her lawyers, needs to prepare her defence.
She said Ms Among needs to build bridges, especially between those who felt targeted by her alleged misuse of power, and cited youth who were imprisoned over their alleged match to Parliament. In July 2024, youth took to the streets in protest of alleged corruption scandals at Parliament, while demanding the resignation of Speaker Among and all legislators reportedly involved in corruption scandals.
Hundreds of protesters were arrested.
Civil society groups later condemned their arrest, saying the incarcerated youth were ‘playing their duty as active citizens of Uganda’ and that ‘their voices must be heard in the ongoing efforts to combat corruption’.
Ms Aritua said: ‘I hope the public does not judge all women because of how Ms Among used power. There are a number of good women out there who have served this country diligently; so, women should not be blamed for her misdeeds.’
She also said Ms Among may have cases brought against her regarding the elections in Bukedea, including alleged misuse of her power to sail through unopposed, among others.
Ms Aritua further advised Ms Among to lead her life privately, and appealed to those who have succeeded her to use their powers within the legal framework, and not to use Parliament for personal aggrandizement, calling for the need to regain the public trust in the institution.
‘It is important that different actors pick lessons in terms of how we use power so that it is used for the common good because the public is watching,’ she added.
Mr Timothy Chemonges, the Executive Director of the Centre for Policy Analysis (CEPA), said Ms Among’s exit is like ‘a puncture on a vehicle tyre.’ ‘It does not necessarily mean the vehicle is written off, but it can no longer move with the same speed and comfort until serious repair is done.’
‘The difficult part is she may feel she went over and above to deliver what was expected of her politically, including playing a visible role in mobilising and campaigning for the President during the last general election. From her standpoint, that may feel like a major betrayal by the very system she invested in and served aggressively,’ he added.
Governance researcher Job Kiija said the regime will most likely not destroy Ms Among economically because her schools, hospitals and money-lending entities are vital nodes for the NRM’s local political patronage.
He said President Museveni values political leverage and compliance over integrity; therefore, the State will allow her business empire to survive, which bears a similarity with how the regime handled former Speaker Rebecca Kadaga.
‘Once her independent streak became a liability, she was stripped of the speakership, but pacified with a Cabinet position to maintain her localised patronage networks in Busoga, preventing her from joining the Opposition.
‘Among will similarly be kept on a tight financial leash, sustained enough to remain a useful agent in Bukedea, but with never the ability to leverage independent State power,’ he reckons.