It has been 26 days since former Speaker of Parliament Anita Annet Among was placed under house arrest at her residence in Nakasero, Kampala.
Since then, access to one of Uganda’s most influential political figures has remained restricted. Sources familiar with the matter say authorities also confiscated her mobile phones, leaving her largely cut off from the public.
As speculation grows over her political and legal future, one question now dominates the political establishment: what happens next?
Media reports indicate that the Inspector General of Government has completed investigations into Among and submitted a report to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
The report is expected to guide the President’s decision on whether formal criminal charges should be brought against her.
Until recently, Among held the third-highest office in government. However, President Museveni has remained silent on the matter.
Museveni Keeps Silent
The President has addressed the country twice in recent weeks.
He first spoke during the election of Jacob Oboth-Oboth as Among’s replacement. He later delivered the State of the Nation Address.
On both occasions, he avoided mentioning a case that has dominated political discussion for weeks.
Sources close to Among say Museveni’s silence has also extended to private conversations.
“Even privately, he has not discussed this matter. We have tried to talk to people close to him, and they all say he is not saying a thing,” said one Among confidant, who requested anonymity to speak freely about the situation.
The IGG inquiry reportedly focuses on alleged money laundering, abuse of office and irregular recruitment of parliamentary staff.
However, sources familiar with the operation say the IGG investigation followed an earlier security operation led mainly by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces, with support from the Uganda Police Force.
Search for Alleged Hidden Money
The operation was reportedly based on intelligence claims that Among had kept large sums of local and foreign currency at several residences.
Sources say investigators focused heavily on her Nakasero home near Fairway Junction.
They reportedly believed the money could influence Members of Parliament during the speakership contest for the 12th Parliament.
That suspicion, according to sources, explains the dramatic scenes that unfolded during the searches.
Security teams reportedly brought fire brigade equipment and metal-cutting tools to access suspected safes.
Investigators also searched extensively inside the residence. Sources say they lifted floor tiles in some areas while looking for hidden compartments.
“They dug up the tiles looking for safes in which the money was kept. But they found none,” one source said.
“You know there were also allegations that she had a money-printing machine at her house. Of course, we know David Kabanda was the source of this information. But all that was false.”
The source said the failure to recover the expected evidence frustrated some of the people who had briefed the President.
Since then, security arrangements around Among’s properties have reportedly changed.
According to another source, military personnel have been withdrawn from residences in Kigo, Ntinda, Bukedea and Budiope.
Only the Nakasero residence remains under close watch by military and police personnel.
Uncertainty Over Next Step
Among’s confidants say they still do not know whether the President will approve her arrest and prosecution.
“I surely cannot tell you exactly what is going to happen,” another confidant said. “What I know is that the president spoke to her and said nobody was going to arrest her. Of course, the Kabanda group wanted her to be arrested and charged immediately, but it seems Museveni is taking his time.”
The same source claimed some people involved in the operation wanted to weaken Among politically and destroy her ability to fight back.
Another Member of Parliament close to Among suggested that Museveni may already have achieved his main political objective.
“I cannot say for sure that he is not going to okay her arrest and charging in court. He might do it to assuage the anger of the public,” the MP said.
“But what I can say for sure is that he was annoyed with her for refusing to step down from the speakership contest. He had given her a soft landing as a potential Vice President, but she insisted on continuing to mobilise MPs to vote for her.”
The MP added that Museveni believed he had helped Among rise politically. According to the MP, the President viewed her refusal to step aside as defiance.
Kabanda Calls for Prosecution
The uncertainty around the case appears to have unsettled some figures who supported the operation against Among.
One of the most public reactions came from David Kabanda.
Writing on X, Kabanda argued that the anti-corruption campaign should not stop at investigations and house arrests.
“If we’re serious about fighting corruption, we can’t stop at exciting the public with house arrests and headlines. People must be prosecuted and convicted so everyone learns the lesson,” Kabanda wrote.
“You can’t convict Nandutu over 300 iron sheets, then forgive the one who stole the entire economy. The law must apply equally, big or small fish.”
Kabanda was referring to former Karamoja Affairs minister Agnes Nandutu. She was convicted and sentenced to four years in prison over the misappropriation of iron sheets meant for the Karamoja sub-region.
However, sources familiar with the dispute argue that a wider investigation into Among’s tenure could also draw attention to people who worked closely with her.
They include Kabanda himself.
“Of course, they are frustrated because they thought this was going to be a clean sweep,” one source said.
“They thought that as soon as the report was produced, Among would immediately be arrested and charged. But all this is not happening.”
The source further alleged that Kabanda benefited from parliamentary resources and influence during Among’s leadership.
“At this time, for anybody to tell you what is going to happen next, he will be lying,” the source added.
Another source claimed that supporters linked to the Patriotic League of Uganda, where Kabanda serves as Secretary General, have intensified efforts to influence the political outcome.
“Of course, this was a political operation to try and neutralise Among, and now that what they wanted has been done, the question is how much these guys are going to influence what happens next,” the source said.
Among Said to Feel Isolated
People who have interacted with Among in recent days describe her as struggling to process her sudden fall from power.
One source described her mood as bitter, disappointed and isolated.
“She is bitter that she has been subjected to this level of humiliation, yet she thinks she has worked so hard for the NRM and President Museveni,” the source said. “She also feels that some of the people she thought were her friends have abandoned her, while others have been used to bring her down.”
Among is a three-term Woman MP for Bukedea District.
She was elected Deputy Speaker in 2021. She later became Speaker in 2022 after the death of Jacob Oulanyah.
During her tenure, she built considerable political influence inside and outside Parliament.
Power and Political Rivalry
Political commentator Andrew Mwenda, who serves as spokesperson for the Patriotic League of Uganda, has argued in several articles and public commentaries that Among’s growing influence alarmed some figures within the National Resistance Movement and the UPDF.
According to Mwenda, some actors within the establishment began to view Among as a political force whose ambitions needed to be contained.
He has also suggested that fears over possible presidential ambitions may have contributed to the campaign against her.
For now, the central question remains unanswered.
The investigations appear complete. The report is reportedly on the President’s desk.
However, no formal charges have been announced. No prosecution has started. Museveni has also continued to say nothing publicly.
Whether that silence reflects caution, calculation or a decision still being weighed behind closed doors remains one of the most closely watched questions in Ugandan politics.
