KAMPALA, Uganda — July 7, 2026 — Kilak South MP Gilbert Olanya has called for former Speaker of Parliament Anita Annet Among and Clerk to Parliament Adolf Mwesige Kasaija to be investigated and charged alongside junior parliamentary officials facing corruption charges, arguing that they should bear ultimate responsibility for decisions made under their leadership.
Olanya made the remarks outside the Anti-Corruption Court on Tuesday after seven senior Parliament officials were further remanded over allegations of embezzlement, causing financial loss and money laundering linked to billions of shillings in public funds.
The seven officials, who were first arraigned last week, include Parliament’s Director of Communication and Public Affairs Chris Obore, Director of Human Resource Daniel Adilo, Executive Secretary in the Office of the Speaker Leonard Okema, Principal Research Officer Rajab Kaaya Ssemalulu, Principal Protocol Officer Emmanuel Emuron Okwi, Capacity Development Officer Vincent Otebata, and Uganda Parliamentary SACCO Chief Executive Officer Methods Murebe. They face charges of embezzlement, causing financial loss and money laundering arising from alleged misuse of parliamentary funds between 2023 and 2026.
Speaking to journalists after the court session, Olanya questioned why only staff members were facing prosecution while the former Speaker and the Clerk, who headed Parliament’s political and administrative leadership during the period under investigation, had not been charged.
“It is terrible that junior officers are being prosecuted while those who exercised overall authority have not been brought before court,” Olanya said. He alleged that some of the accused officials merely implemented instructions from their superiors and argued that investigators should establish who authorized the disputed transactions.
Olanya further claimed that some parliamentary staff acted as intermediaries in handling money allegedly intended for senior officials, while payment approvals passed through the Office of the Clerk. The allegations have not been tested in court, and neither Among nor Mwesige has been charged in connection with the case.
The corruption investigation has become one of the most high-profile probes involving Parliament in recent years. According to the Inspectorate of Government (IGG), prosecutors allege that the accused embezzled public funds, caused financial loss to government and participated in laundering proceeds of crime through a series of financial transactions.
Last week, investigators also sealed offices previously occupied by former Speaker Among and Clerk Mwesige as part of the widening investigation into Parliament’s financial management.
The Inspectorate of Government has maintained that investigations remain ongoing and that additional action will depend on the evidence gathered. Authorities have emphasized that all persons implicated in the probe are entitled to due process and are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
