For the past three years, Uganda’s parliament has emerged as a hotbed of corruption, with MPs taking inducements to legislate and soliciting bribes to enhance budgets. This pervasive vice has not spared the office of the speaker.
On May 30, 2024, the USA government sanctioned the speaker of parliament, Anita Among, for her involvement in significant corruption, including the misuse of public resources and diversion of materials from Uganda’s neediest communities. The USA also sanctioned Among’s spouse, Moses Magogo Hassim.
These USA sanctions followed similar actions by the UK approximately a month earlier. The sanctions underscore the international community’s growing impatience with the rampant corruption undermining Uganda’s governance. In the immediate aftermath of the massive corruption scandals and arrests of errant MPs that have rocked parliament, on June 22, 2024, speaker Anita Among pledged her support for the five detained MPs arrested on suspicion of involvement in corruption deals.
Among made this declaration during the launch of the Ssentayi Development Foundation in Katovu Town council, Bukoto West constituency in Lwengo district. This move by the speaker has raised eyebrows, given the context of the sanctions and the ongoing corruption investigations.
The five MPs arrested on suspicion of corruption include Lwengo district Woman MP Cissy Namujju, Busiki county MP Paul Akamba, Bunyole East MP Yusuf Mutembuli, Igara East MP Mawanda Michael Maranga, and Elgon county legislator Wamakuyu Ignatius Mudimi.
Among stated, “I went and met Cissy Namujju; she is in good spirits, and she is going to be with you. She is going to be your woman MP forever. The president has heard your cries, where you said that when your child misbehaves, you beat and say go back and do something good. And you are better off having a child even if she goes and eats something as long as she brings back home [sic].”
“What has been sent is from the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Open it and tell them the amount. It is Shs 50 million. Let me kneel for you. I am requesting that you bring Muhamad Ssentayi back to parliament. I am requesting that you bring Namujju back to parliament and bring Ibrahim Kitatta back as the LCV chairman,” she said.
Kasambya county MP David Kabanda added, “What is happening in Kampala should not threaten you; it is a wave that will soon go down. We shall soon return to Lwengo to thank God for Honourable Cissy Namujju’s release from prison. Stay calm and strong.”
Rakai district Woman MP Juliet Kinyamatama commented, “If she took something, as we heard, she has eaten with the people of Lwengo; is that a lie?”
NOTABLE CASES OF CORRUPTION BY SOLICITING BRIBES
On June 12, 2024, the Anti-Corruption Court remanded Namujju, Akamba and Mutembuli to Luzira prison on corruption charges. The three MPs are accused of soliciting a 20 per cent kickback from the projected budget increase for the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) for the 2024/2025 fiscal year.
The prosecution alleges that on May 13, 2024, the trio met with UHRC chairperson Mariam Wangadya at a hotel in Kampala. During this meeting, they purportedly offered to use their influence over parliament’s Budget committee to secure additional funding for the UHRC in exchange for the illicit payment.
This case underscores the pervasive issue of corruption within Uganda’s political system and raises questions about the integrity of public officials.
CONSPIRING TO DEFRAUD BUYAKA GROWERS COOPERATIVE SOCIETY
Last week, the Anti-Corruption court remanded Igara East MP Mawanda Michael Maranga, Elgon county legislator Wamakuyu Ignatius Mudimi, Busiki county MP Akamba Paul, lawyer Kirya Julius Taitankoko, and Kavundira Leonard, the principal cooperative officer in the ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives.
The quintet is accused of misappropriating funds intended for war loss compensation to Buyaka Growers Cooperative Society Limited for their personal use. According to the charge sheet, Mawanda allegedly converted public funds amounting to Shs 1 billion, Wamakuyu Shs 2.3 billion, Akamba Shs 200 million, and Taitankoko Shs 2.2 billion.
Kavundira is alleged to have conspired to defraud the government of Shs 3.4 billion intended for war loss compensation to Buyaka Growers Cooperative Society Limited. This case highlights significant concerns about the misuse of public funds and the integrity of elected officials and government officers in Uganda.
SHS 40 MILLION BRIBE
In their first three months in office, parliament rewarded each MP with Shs 40 million for passing a supplementary budget. Media reports claimed that independent and opposition MPs received their share at the speaker’s residence, while National Resistance Movement (NRM) MPs received their money at parliament.
Shockingly, Bukoto South MP, Dr Twaha Kagabo, one of the bold MPs who received the money, was threatened following his attempt to return the said money. The National Unity Platform (NUP) MP attempted to return the money through the office of the former leader of opposition (LoP), Mathias Mpuuga, but to no avail. Mpuuga directed him to return the money where he picked it.
Following NUP’s decision ordering all the recipients of the bribe to return it, Kagabo is preparing to join the ruling party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM). In another scandal, the former LoP Mathias Mpuuga and other commissioners were named in the Shs 1.7 billion alleged corruption scandal.
Leaked resolutions from the Parliamentary Commission meeting held in May 2022 revealed that it was decided to award the leader of the opposition, Mpuuga, a one-off service award of Shs 500 million, with Shs 400 million allocated to each of the three commissioners from the National Resistance Movement. Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, aka Bobi Wine, the president of NUP, highlighted Mpuuga’s involvement in the scandal.
He said, “It was an allegation that Mpuuga, together with speaker Anita Among and other commissioners, awarded himself Shs 500 million. It was disturbing. But after finding what I thought was credible evidence, I summoned the meeting that involved all my deputy presidents, the party leadership, including the Secretary-General, deputy secretary general, and other respectable leaders.”
In a meeting with NUP’s top leadership, Mpuuga admitted his participation in the wrongdoing. Kyagulanyi stated, “Mpuuga admitted that he wrongfully awarded himself Shs 500 million, and to make it even worse, this was supposed to be passed to the holder, not those who came before him or those who are coming after him.”
The party resolved that Mpuuga should apologize, resign his position as the commissioner at parliament, and return the money before undergoing a rehabilitation process. Mpuuga has since declined to resign, noting that the decision was made by the law. He said, “The money has not been credited to my account, but I am eagerly waiting for it.”
REACTION TO THE SPEAKER’S UTTERANCES
Marlon Agaba, the executive director of the Anti-Corruption Coalition Uganda, expressed skepticism about Speaker Among’s statements.
He noted, “Among’s statements are not new; ministers have been arrested and arraigned before court for the cameras, and eventually get released. It is part of the game. When you look at all the allegations that have been at parliament, you need to ask yourself how many MPs have been convicted of corruption. They are just a handful.”
Agaba continued, “It is the same script. Arrest them, cause public excitement, take them to court, they get bailed, kill the evidence, and it is business as usual. We know that when politicians are arrested, there is a lot of background negotiation that goes on from their constituencies, religious, and cultural leaders, and this happened before for Capt Mike Mukula and Gen Jim Muhwezi. What the speaker said is exactly what has been happening; unfortunately, it is part of the normalization of corruption in this country.”
Former presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also criticized Among’s comments. He said, “Anita Among is basically suggesting that the MPs are indeed guilty of the crimes they’re accused of and that they are always justified in stealing public funds if they invest their loot here in Uganda. More worryingly, she is also suggesting that dictator Museveni will rein in the judiciary to let the MPs off the hook. It’s a pity!”
Human rights lawyer George Musisi echoed these concerns, highlighting the superficial nature of the fight against corruption.
“Many of us have always argued that the fight against corruption is cosmetic. When the president purports to be fighting corruption, it is cosmetic; it is meant to portray an image, but there is no will or anything from the government to seriously fight it because you will find that his party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM), uses corruption to sustain power.”
Musisi further explained, “Museveni has forgiven people he knows because of political expedience, and that is the context of the speaker’s remarks. During the mabaati scandal, the former minister Mary Kitutu wrote to the president, saying we can solve this matter politically knowing that the director of Public Prosecutions was charging her. These suspects sometimes fear being sacrificed because they know that some people are being forgiven while others are charged. The speaker knows that some people are charged with the consent of the president, and those forgiven, it is usually his nod.”
He added, “The president has distinguished what he calls political corruption mistakes, yet under the law, they would be offenses.”
Godber Tumushabe, a lawyer and policy analyst, has offered a scathing critique of the NRM, labelling it a “corruption enterprise.” Tumushabe argues that the NRM’s nearly 40-year tenure in power is marked by unprecedented levels of pillage and plunder.
“If you look at its record of close to 40 years in power, you will realize that anybody who tells you he/she is an NRM is a certified thief, is planning to steal, or is just a beneficiary of the stealing,” he stated.
According to Tumushabe, the NRM has evolved into a cult-like movement with President Museveni as its chief priest. He describes the hierarchy within the NRM, with priests and priestesses, and lower-ranking members such as MPs and resident district Commissioners (RDCs), serving as altar boys and altar girls. “NRM has progressively evolved into a cult movement with Museveni as its chief priest,” Tumushabe noted.
“Then you have people you would characterize as its priests and priestesses. And then you have the small people running around it like MPs, resident district commissioners (RDC), etc., as its altar boys and altar girls.”
He criticized speaker Anita Among, suggesting that her actions align with the NRM’s corruption-driven agenda.
“Anita Among is just doing what she is supposed to do under the NRM corruption enterprise. In any case, the broad scheme of NRM, Anita Among, is a non-disposable entity. Her utterances are designed to show the chief priests that she is loyal to him. As long as she is head of that legislative arm of government, the chief priest has it under his control.”
“At this moment in his life presidency, Museveni has no capacity to fight corruption. Because corruption is the system that he runs—the NRM system. Today, Museveni sits in cabinet with almost all of his ministers accused of corruption, influence peddling, or some petty theft of sorts,” he said.
According to Tumushabe, Museveni’s anti-corruption efforts are largely performative, designed to create a narrative for his donors rather than effecting real change. Ronald Leonard, a political analyst, echoed Tumushabe’s sentiments, describing the speaker’s remarks as indicative of a reckless politician in need of better handlers.
“The speaker is a reckless politician who needs more sophisticated and seasoned handlers to prepare her for public appearances,” Egesa commented.
