Uganda’s Fallen Speaker: Anita Among Withdraws from Race as Security Forces Seize Rolls-Royce and Expand Forensic Probe

Operation Against Impunity: The Unraveling of Speaker Anita Among

KAMPALA, Uganda – The political fortunes of Uganda’s most powerful female legislator have collapsed in the span of a single week, transforming from a coronation for a new term into a desperate fight for political survival and liberty.

Outgoing Speaker of Parliament Anita Annet Among, once considered untouchable at the helm of the legislative branch, has dramatically withdrawn from the race to lead the 12th Parliament . The announcement came not from a podium of triumph, but as a defensive statement issued late Sunday, coinciding with a heavily armed, multi-agency raid on her luxury homes and the seizure of her newly acquired fleet of luxury cars .

For five years, Among dominated Uganda’s political scene, rising from Deputy Speaker to the highest legislative office following the death of Jacob Oulanyah. However, the curtain fell on her tenure as the "iron sheets" scandal that plagued her administration evolved into a full-blown probe into money laundering and illicit enrichment .

‘Deep Introspection’ or Surrender?

In her official statement, Among cited "wide consultations and deep introspection" as the reason for stepping aside, adding that she wished to maintain "harmony and clarity" within the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) .

“I wish to categorically and unequivocally state that I will not be offering myself for the Speakership race of the 12th Parliament,” Among wrote .

However, political analysts suggest the harmony she refers to was shattered last week when the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, publicly endorsed Defence Minister Jacob Oboth-Oboth for the position, effectively abandoning Among’s candidacy . Her withdrawal was finalized following a tense, two-hour closed-door meeting with President Yoweri Museveni at State House Entebbe .

The Asset Hunt: A $600,000 Rolls-Royce

The primary catalyst for the public outrage—and the subsequent state action—has been the discovery of a 2025 Rolls-Royce Cullinan parked at her Kigo residence. Valued at an estimated Shs 3.4 billion (approx. $600,000), the vehicle has become the symbol of what critics call the extravagant lifestyle of Uganda’s political elite .

In a scene reminiscent of a movie, a joint task force of the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) surrounded her Kigo estate and towed the luxury SUV away on a low-bed truck . Sources indicate that her personal mobile devices have also been confiscated to conduct deep forensic searches for financial logs, transaction records, and encrypted communications .

The probe did not stop in Kampala. On Friday, operatives descended on Among’s palatial rural home in Aputput village, Bukedea District . A convoy of seven security vehicles sealed off the homestead as neighbors watched. State House auditors have also sealed and searched her former offices in the Parliament building, as well as the office of the Clerk to Parliament, signaling that the investigation is plumbing the depths of the institution’s administration .

The Expanding Net: Judiciary and EC Implicated

Perhaps most alarmingly for Uganda’s body politic, the investigation into Among is widening beyond her personal balance sheet.

Sources have told local media that the joint probe is now extending to officials within the Electoral Commission (EC) and the Judiciary . Investigators are reportedly examining allegations that Among wielded "considerable influence" over these institutions to manipulate electoral outcomes.

Specifically, detectives are reviewing claims that EC officials facilitated the disqualification of political rivals to clear the way for Among’s preferred candidates . Several lawyers and commissioners have reportedly already been summoned to the Kibuli CID headquarters for questioning, where investigators are working to recover "deleted messages" and communication history linking the former Speaker to the manipulation of the 2026 general election processes .

Global Context and Local Fallout

The current domestic firestorm is not occurring in a vacuum. Among has been under international sanctions since 2024, when both the United Kingdom and the United States imposed visa restrictions and asset freezes against her over allegations of corruption related to the diversion of iron sheets meant for the Karamoja region .

Back home, the reaction from her constituency has been brutal. In Bukedea District, residents have welcomed her withdrawal from the speakership race, with community leaders accusing her of arrogance, malice, and poor service delivery . Civil society activist Dr. Sarah Bireete questioned why President Museveni waited two years to act, asking why foreign governments had evidence of corruption before the local State House did .

As of Friday evening, Anita Among’s whereabouts remain unknown. While she has pledged to "continue cooperating with all ongoing investigations," she has also hinted that the scrutiny is politically motivated .

For now, the once-imperious Speaker who banned journalists from covering her parliamentary chambers is now the subject of the story—fighting to prevent the "recovered money and property" that Gen. Muhoozi promises to return to the treasury from including her own