Anita Among No Show as 12th Parliament Kicks Off

Anita Annet Among, the Speaker of Uganda’s 11th Parliament, was noticeably absent from the inaugural sitting of the 12th Parliament on Monday at the Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, where Members of Parliament convened to elect a new Speaker and Deputy Speaker.

  Her name was read out twice during the Clerk to Parliament’s roll call of legislators before voting commenced, drawing attention to her absence from the high-profile session that ushered in a new parliamentary leadership.  

Chief Justice Flavian Zeija, who presided over the election, announced that 519 MPs were present and participated in the process that culminated in the election of Jacob Marksons Oboth-Oboth as Speaker. The 12th Parliament comprises 529 legislators who had been sworn in earlier this month, leaving about 10 MPs absent from the sitting.  

Among, who also serves as the National Resistance Movement’s (NRM) Second National Vice Chairperson (Female), has in recent weeks missed several key party engagements. She did not attend the party’s fifth Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting at State House Entebbe, which was chaired by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.  

Speaking to journalists during the expression of interest process for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker positions over the weekend, NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson Tanga Odoi said Among had formally informed the party leadership that she was unwell and would be unable to attend.  

“She wrote to the party chairperson indicating that she was sick and sent her apologies,” Odoi said.  

Among also missed the NRM parliamentary caucus meeting that endorsed Oboth-Oboth as the party’s candidate for Speaker.  

Her absence comes amid heightened political scrutiny and ongoing investigations linked to her tenure as Speaker, developments that ultimately saw her withdraw from the race to retain the office.  

Although Among was returned unopposed as Bukedea District Woman MP and has already taken both the Oath of Allegiance and the Parliamentary Oath, her public appearances have become increasingly rare over the past week following security operations and investigations that involved raids on some of her properties and the seizure of several vehicles.  

Alice Alaso, the acting coordinator of Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) and a longtime friend of Among, told this reporter that the former Speaker is currently at one of her residences in Kampala under heavy security deployment.  

“I visited her at the beginning of the probes and we had a health chat,” Alaso said. “I returned over the weekend, but I was unable to see her because she was sleeping. I did not want to disturb her because I know she has not been sleeping well lately. I will return another day and hopefully meet her again.”  

An MP from the Teso sub-region, who requested anonymity because they are not authorised to speak publicly on the matter, also described a heavy security presence at Among’s residence.  

“When you approach the home, you see police officers on guard, but once you enter the gate, there are several soldiers stationed inside,” the legislator said.  

The MP further claimed that security personnel are deployed throughout the property, including near private sections of the residence. Alaso similarly said security deployment is visible around nearby buildings overlooking the residence, with personnel appearing to monitor vehicles entering and leaving the area.  

Under Uganda’s parliamentary rules, an MP may only lose their seat if they miss 15 consecutive sittings of Parliament during a period when the House is continuously meeting without obtaining written permission from the Speaker. There is therefore no requirement for MPs to attend every sitting, allowing for absences arising from illness or other legitimate reasons.  

The 12th Parliament, elected in the January 2026 general elections, formally commenced business following the swearing-in of all 529 MPs. Its first sitting focused on electing parliamentary leadership, a process largely influenced by the NRM’s numerical dominance in the House.  

Among rose to the office of Speaker in 2022 following the death of Jacob Oulanyah, having previously served as Deputy Speaker in the 11th Parliament.