Parliament Speaker Anita Among has trashed allegations that she owns property in the United Kingdom (UK), further reiterating that she does not care about sanctions impeding her from traveling to the European country.
“I am told that I have many assets in the UK and lots of accounts in the UK. Unfortunately, I have only been in the UK once. I don’t even have a pussycat in the UK,” Among said as she opened plenary sitting on Friday in her first verbal reaction to UK sanctions imposed on her and two former ministers.
Among insists that the sanctions are premised on her passing of the Anti-gay law in 2023.
“These sanctions are politically motivated. The bill that you [MPs] passed in this House… We are carrying a cross. I’m carrying a cross for 48 million Ugandans,” she added.
On Tuesday, former and ex-ministers Agnes Nandutu and Mary Gorretti Kitutu were sanctioned for corruption regarding the controversial Karamoja iron sheets.
“The Anti-Homosexuality Act is what is causing this. This may not be the only ban. Another one will come in the pretext of corruption and [many] others but we serve a living God. We will always not allow bam shafters in Uganda,” she said.
She added: “I have always said that I have a permanent passport to Bukedea and Buyende (districts). I don’t need the Visa. So, you (MPs) need to be very firm and fight for your position. Just imagine it is your kid who is being sodomized.”
She revealed that she had been briefed about the ramifications of the said sanctions, noting that she found them “toothless.”
“At an appropriate time, the head of state will also respond to it [sanctions] because it is an indictment on the parliament of Uganda,” she said.Among directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to prepare and furnish parliament with detailed responses to the sanctions.
“Hon minister of foreign affairs, we expect a comprehensive response on the action that you have taken on this, and I don’t want anybody to think [that] I am bored by these sanctions,” Among said.
But Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LoP) Joel Ssenyonyi demanded “government to vehemently tackle corruption by conclusively settling cases in which government officials are named.”
“I want to implore government not to wait for foreign countries to impose sanctions on individuals…in corruption and so on, take action,” Ssenyonyi said, adding that “when you are going to beg for aid, you don’t complain.”According to Uganda’s ombudsman, the total cost of corruption in the country is estimated over Shs10trilllion per year, amid hundreds of unresolved graft-related cases.
