KAMPALA — Former Speaker of Parliament Anita Annet Among has thanked President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni after she was released from house arrest, following the President’s decision to end plans to prosecute her over allegations that had triggered investigations into her wealth and the management of parliamentary affairs.
Among, who served as Speaker of the 11th Parliament, expressed her gratitude in posts on X on Wednesday, August 26, a day after Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba announced that President Museveni had ordered her release.
She described the decision as an act of “parental grace” and mercy. “I take this opportunity to thank the Almighty God for the gift of life and freedom. My profound and heartfelt appreciation goes to His Excellency, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, for his unmatched parental grace and decision to grant me mercy,” Among wrote.
She also thanked Gen. Kainerugaba for what she described as his professionalism during the period she was under restriction. “I also extend my gratitude to the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, for his professionalism throughout this period,” she said.
Among, who remains Woman Member of Parliament for Bukedea, said she intends to return to representing her constituents. “As the Woman MP for Bukedea, I look forward to continuing my work for my constituents and standing firm with our revolutionary leadership,” she said.
Museveni ends house arrest
Gen. Kainerugaba announced on Tuesday that President Museveni had instructed him to release Among from house arrest and that she would not face prosecution. “Mzee has also instructed me to release AAA from house arrest. We shall do that as well,” Gen. Kainerugaba said in a post on X.
In a subsequent response about whether Among would still face prosecution, the CDF said: “No. We shall not prosecute AAA. She made mistakes but Mzee has decided to forgive her.”
The announcement brought an abrupt end to months of restrictions imposed on Among after security agencies searched properties associated with her in May amid allegations involving corruption, illicit enrichment, abuse of office and money laundering. Reports said the investigations also involved questions surrounding parliamentary finances and Among’s wealth.
The New Vision reported that Special Forces Command soldiers stationed at Among’s residences in Nakasero and Kigo left the properties following the directive.
From Speaker to political reprieve
Among’s release marks a dramatic reversal for a politician who had been one of the most powerful figures in Uganda’s political establishment.
She was Speaker from March 2022 until the beginning of the 12th Parliament and had remained a prominent figure within the ruling National Resistance Movement.
The investigations intensified in May, with security agencies searching properties linked to her and reportedly examining assets and financial records. Among had also faced international scrutiny before the latest investigation: the United Kingdom sanctioned her in 2024 under its global anti-corruption regime, while the United States subsequently imposed sanctions.
No court had convicted Among of the allegations arising from the 2026 investigations. The decision to stop prosecution therefore ends the possibility of a criminal trial over those allegations rather than amounting to a judicial acquittal.
The distinction matters.
What happens to the wider corruption cases?
The decision has also raised questions about the fate of other senior parliamentary officials who were arrested and charged during the investigation.
Several former parliamentary officials, including Director of Communications and Public Affairs Chris Obore and former Director of Human Resources Daniel Adilo, remain implicated in separate criminal proceedings involving alleged embezzlement, causing financial loss and money laundering.
That has produced an uncomfortable question: if the former Speaker will not be prosecuted, what happens to the officials accused of financial crimes committed during her tenure?
The government has not indicated that the cases against those officials have been withdrawn.
Meanwhile, the Inspectorate of Government has also faced scrutiny over the handling and public explanation of the investigations. Africanews reported that an anti-corruption body spokesperson said the institution had “never stated anywhere” that it was investigating Among, adding another layer to an already confusing saga.
For Among, however, the political calculation now appears clear: she is free, she remains Bukedea’s Woman MP and she says she is ready to return to public service.
The question left hanging over Uganda’s anti-corruption campaign is harder: when political mercy ends an investigation before a court can determine the facts, where does accountability begin—and where does it end?