In defense of Speaker Anita Among!
In a recent article titled “the heavy price of annoying Speaker Anita Among”, the weekly Observer lists down people who have faced problems because of purportedly annoying the Speaker Rt Hon Anita Among!
First, I am not Speaker Among’s Spokesperson but am inspired by her political journey and how she has in a short time risen through the ranks to become Uganda’s number three! I have a feeling that it’s this smooth ride to the top that has created enemies for her, with some sponsoring a hate & blackmail campaign to bring her down!
The Major “culprits” mentioned in the said article include Minister Persis Namuganza, Hon Francis Zaake, and Habib Buwembo! Looking at a case by case scenario & also analyzing the individuals involved you realize that these issues have nothing to do with the character of Among!
Zaake was impeached as a Parliamentary Commissioner because of abusing the Speaker, Anita Among & Parliament using derogatory, pornographic & immoral language, to say the least. But who is Zaake? In 2019 in the 10th Parliament, Zaake was condemned by the Committee on Rules for attacking and threatening in corridors of Parliament, the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University Prof Nawangwe when he had come to appear before a Parliamentary Committee. The same Zaake in 2017 was involved in a scuffle in which he was punched by Gen Katumba Wamala during a Togikwatako debate in Parliament. The same Zaake is currently appearing before the Rules Committee for abusing Hon Kinyamatama and Hon Gyavira when he went to their Constituency and also for disobeying the Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa in one of the sessions. In all these circumstances, it’s not Rt Hon Among that is responsible for these problems! So looking at Zaake and his character, it’s inevitable that he will face problems with any other leader and therefore tagging his problems to Among is being unfair!
Minister Persis Namuganza, just like Zaake in the 10th Parliament was taken to the Rules Committee for undermining the Speaker then Rt Hon Rabecca Kadaga. She was also suspended from Busoga Parliamentary Caucus, had issues with the Kyabazinga of Busoga, she also had bitter exchanges with her predecessor Hon Nantaba Idah to mention but a few! The reason she was impeached was that she had refused to honor the Committee of Parliament to explain her role in the Naguru – Nakawa estate, and instead turned against the Speaker! So looking at her case, one cannot blame Speaker Among for Namuganza problems!
Lastly is the case of Habib Buwembo, who according to the Observer was arrested for among others throwing a pig painted yellow at the Speaker’s residence, moreover at a time when Among had expressed fear over some people trailing her! He was also arrested for holding Press Conferences in which he was blackmailing the Speaker!
First of all, why would Buwembo throw a pig at the private residence of the Speaker, knowing that her husband is even a Muslim? Secondly the law gives Police powers to arrest anyone that is suspected to be about to commit a crime.
More so, the other issue was that Buwembo delayed getting justice in the courts of law! But is Among a judge or a magistrate in any Courts? Does she control affairs in the judiciary? Is Among responsible for the case backlog in the Judiciary? Aren’t Ugandans aware of cases that have taken decades without being concluded? So if Buwembo for one reason or the other delayed to get justice in the Courts of law, how do you blame this on the Speaker?
If Among was to punish her critics, many people would be in jail because she has been blackmailed a lot, many activists have made her a target of ridicule, abuse, blackmail etc including attacking her private life and family but she simply ignores them making her a more tolerant politician than any other!
Lastly, for those that think Speaker Among is not a good Leader, you should remember the days of Hon Kadaga as a Speaker when journalists like Agnes Nandutu, Jingo Francis were chased from Parliament, where staff like Chris Obore were sacked without following the law etc. all because they disagreed with her! Rt Hon Among is a great leader and nobody will bring her down!
georges2010ug@gmail.com
