Anita Annet Among
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I Former Speaker of Parliament Anita Annet Among has distanced herself from a reported celebration planned in her honour, moving quickly to disown the event after Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba warned that security agencies would arrest anyone involved.
Among’s decision to publicly dissociate herself from the reported gathering came amid heightened political and legal scrutiny surrounding her, following her recent release from house arrest and a pardon by President Yoweri Museveni.
On September 8, Among said she had learnt about the reported celebration through information circulating online and insisted that she had neither authorised nor sanctioned the event.
“I have learned that a party is purportedly being organised on my behalf,” Among wrote on X.
“I wish to explicitly state that I have not authorised any such gathering in my name, and no individual associated with me is orchestrating such an event. Kindly dismiss any misinformation in this regard.”
Her statement came after reports that a group of Members of Parliament was planning what was described as a “pre-Speaker party” for her on September 16. The reports named Minister Justine Nameere as having announced the purported event.
However, the proposed celebration immediately ran into a major obstacle after Gen Muhoozi issued a stern warning against it.
“There will be absolutely no party for AAA. We shall arrest anybody involved in that nonsense!” Muhoozi wrote on X, using Among’s initials.
The CDF’s intervention appears to have placed the organisers and Among herself in a difficult position, particularly given the political circumstances surrounding her recent release.
Among had spent about 100 days under house arrest amid scrutiny over allegations surrounding corruption and her conduct in public office. President Museveni subsequently ordered her release and pardoned her, a development that generated considerable public and political debate.
But Muhoozi made clear that the presidential pardon should not necessarily be interpreted as an end to unresolved matters.
“Forgiving someone does not mean they do not have unresolved cases,” he said.
That distinction is central to understanding why a public celebration in Among’s honour could have been politically sensitive. While her release marked a significant development, the CDF’s comments suggested that unresolved legal or investigative issues could still carry consequences.
Muhoozi also warned ministers facing corruption allegations that holding government positions would not shield them from detention.
“Corrupt ministers are not immune to the Basement,” he wrote.
The term “Basement”, which Muhoozi has previously used in reference to a detention facility associated with military intelligence, added further weight to his warning, although he did not name the ministers he was referring to or disclose specific allegations against them.
Against this backdrop, Among’s decision to disown the reported celebration can be seen as an attempt to create clear distance between herself and an event that security authorities had expressly threatened to stop.
By stressing that she had not approved the gathering and that none of her associates was organising it, Among sought to make her position unmistakable: she was not behind the proposed celebration.
Her appeal to the public to disregard the reports also helped separate her from potential organisers who could face confrontation with security agencies.
The episode highlights the delicate political environment surrounding Among following her release. It also demonstrates how quickly political celebrations can become contentious when they involve personalities facing unresolved legal or political scrutiny.
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