Veteran politician and National Coordinator of the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT), Alice Alaso Asianut, says the dramatic shifts unfolding in Uganda’s parliamentary leadership, especially the challenges of former Speaker Anita Annet Among have little to do with a genuine anti-corruption campaign. Speaking in an interview at her residence in Kireka, Alaso said the contrasting political fortunes of Among and her deputy, Thomas Tayebwa, point instead to an orchestrated transition of power and the consequences of crossing what she described as a highly protected executive “red line.”
According to Alaso, the long-held notion of parliamentary independence has been steadily eroded, culminating in what she characterized as a complete takeover of the legislature by the executive branch. She argued that previous efforts by the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) to conceal executive influence through endorsements from the Central Executive Committee or parliamentary caucus have been abandoned altogether.
“There is no hiding this time around,” Alaso said. It is straightforward -this is the Speaker the CDF wants, and that is it. Parliament has been completely taken over. They do not even have the latitude anymore to choose a speaker; the Speaker is chosen for them,” Alaso said.
Alaso linked the developments to what she sees as a broader institutional transition from President Yoweri Museveni to the Chief of Defence Forces, Muhoozi Kainerugaba. She said the active involvement of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) in the parliamentary leadership contest reflects a deliberate restructuring of state institutions to suit an emerging political order. She also dismissed claims that Among’s apparent political isolation is primarily a consequence of corruption allegations and controversies surrounding parliamentary expenditures.
“It is naive to think that this is an anti-corruption crusade,” Alaso said. “This regime is oiled by corruption; remove corruption, this government will collapse.” Instead, she argued that Among’s predicament follows a familiar pattern in Ugandan politics, where influential figures who accumulate significant political capital eventually find themselves at odds with the country’s power centres.
Alaso drew parallels with prominent political figures such as Kizza Besigye, former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi, and former Speaker Rebecca Kadaga, all of whom, she said, experienced political setbacks after challenging established power structures. She suggested that Among’s extensive influence among both newly elected and veteran Members of Parliament may have been viewed by the establishment as a potential threat during the ongoing political transition.
When asked why Tayebwa appears to have retained establishment backing despite being associated with the same parliamentary institutional controversies, Alaso pointed to differences in perceived political influence, saying: “The endorsement of Tayebwa really gives credence to what I have just said. By PLU standards, his influence is not as much as that of Anita to threaten the red line. He is seen as a friend who will provide advancement, not a threat.”
Meanwhile, veteran journalist and PLU insider Andrew Mwenda has offered a different but related explanation, attributing the developments to mounting anti-corruption pressure on the presidency, strategic calculations within the PLU, and concerns about the political strength of Among herself.
Speaking on a television talk show last week, Mwenda said the NRM had initially favoured retaining both Among and Tayebwa in their respective positions. However, growing public and diplomatic criticism over allegations of corruption and concerns about parliamentary spending reportedly forced President Museveni to reconsider his stance.
According to Mwenda, the PLU subsequently withdrew its blanket endorsement of the incumbent parliamentary leadership and opted to align itself with the President’s final decision.
“But what it shows is that inside the NRM, there is a contestation over that job,” Mwenda said. “My suspicion is that the President has called her to advise her to withdraw from the race because if she is in the race, she cannot be defeated.”
Mwenda praised Among’s political skills, describing her as one of the country’s most formidable mobilisers. He argued that in a free parliamentary vote, she would likely attract support from the opposition as well as a significant portion of NRM legislators, making her extremely difficult to defeat.
“With the exception of Museveni, Anita Among could be the second-greatest politician Uganda has produced in terms of the ability to rally people,”said Mwenda, adding that to avoid a divisive contest within Parliament, Museveni could offer Among an alternative senior government position, such as Vice President or Prime Minister. However, he maintained that the outgoing Speaker remains a significant political force with considerable leverage in any discussions with the President.
“She may be able to explain to the President, ‘I am the one who, together with Thomas, has been able to control this House for you and bring the opposition in line.’ So, she is not yet done,” Mwenda said. As Parliament prepares to elect a new Speaker and Deputy Speaker, the debate surrounding Among’s political future has become a focal point in wider discussions about the balance of power between Parliament, the executive, and emerging political centres within Uganda’s ruling establishment-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
