Anita Among: Ksh. 120 million Rolls-Royce, Range Rovers, inside the flashy world of Uganda's former speaker

The withdrawal, announced via her official X account late Sunday night, came amid mounting pressure within the ruling establishment and ongoing investigations into alleged corruption and money laundering.

It was in the high noon of a May 18 Monday when security personnel decided to drive the luxury cars seized from the outgoing Speaker of Parliament's residence in Kigo, Wakiso District, straight through the heart of a bustling city.

Kampala, writes Daily Mirror, lay under a dark cloud, gloomy and tense, yet the crowds lining the streets roared with cheers as two low-bed trucks rumbled across the congested city en route to police headquarters in Naguru, a city suburb some 20 kilometres from the Kigo residence by road. 

In tow was the now- famous Rolls-Royce that Ms Anita Among had recently received from Europe.

Earlier, several media reports and social media posts indicated that Muhoozi Kainerugaba and the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) had withdrawn their political support for Among and Thomas Tayebwa in the Speakership race.

Among’s political journey remains one of the fastest and most remarkable ascents in Uganda’s recent political history. 

Born in Bukedea District, she entered Parliament in 2016 after defeating long-serving Bukedea Woman MP Rose Akol. She ran as an independent candidate after falling out with the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), where she had built her early political identity.

Before entering politics, Among worked in banking and later lectured in accounting at Makerere University Business School and Kampala International University. 

Her national profile rose significantly during the 10th Parliament, where she served on the powerful COSASE committee investigating government agencies. 

A key turning point came in 2020 when she crossed from FDC to the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), aligning herself closely with President Yoweri Museveni’s establishment.

That move fundamentally reshaped her political fortunes. 

Among’s influence grew further during the 2021 general elections when she was declared unopposed for the Bukedea District Woman MP seat — a development that sparked widespread controversy. 

Records from election coverage at the time show that several aspirants had expressed interest in contesting against her before being blocked, withdrawing, or failing to complete nomination requirements.

Court disputes and Electoral Commission decisions later became central to the controversy surrounding the race. 

Reports indicated that some rival aspirants alleged intimidation and irregularities in the nomination process.

Court challenges seeking to overturn Among’s unopposed declaration were ultimately unsuccessful. 

The outcome nonetheless cemented her position within the NRM hierarchy. 

Only months later, she contested for Deputy Speaker of Parliament and won after receiving the ruling party’s endorsement. 

In March 2022, following the death of Jacob Oulanyah, she ascended to the office of Speaker of Parliament, becoming one of the most powerful political figures in Uganda.

Ahead of the 2026 elections, Among again secured the Bukedea Woman MP seat unopposed, reinforcing perceptions of her influence in the Teso sub-region and within the ruling establishment. 

Reports from October 2025 indicated that her main challenger, Florence Asio, failed to appear for nomination, resulting in Among being declared unopposed. 

However, the circumstances once again attracted scrutiny.

Media reports documented allegations from opposition figures of intimidation, legal obstruction, and pressure against rival candidates. 

Earlier reports also indicated that at least three women had expressed interest in challenging her before the field narrowed significantly.

The repeated unopposed victories strengthened Among’s political standing and fueled perceptions of her dominance within Uganda’s political system.

Among’s rise has often been linked to a widening network of influence within the NRM and Parliament. 

Her husband, Moses Magogo — president of the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) and Budiope East MP — also consolidated political influence during the same period. 

Political analysts have frequently pointed to the growing influence of a parliamentary bloc associated with the Speaker’s office, particularly during the 11th Parliament.

Among herself increasingly became viewed as part of the broader power architecture surrounding Muhoozi Kainerugaba, whose political influence has steadily expanded. 

However, those alliances now appear to be shifting. Only weeks earlier, Muhoozi and the Patriotic League of Uganda had publicly endorsed Among and Tayebwa for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker positions, respectively. 

That support was later withdrawn in a dramatic political reversal.

Muhoozi subsequently backed Jacob Marksons Oboth-Oboth for Speaker, effectively isolating Among politically. 

Observers say the withdrawal of PLU support signaled a significant weakening of Among’s position within the establishment.

Her decision to withdraw from the Speakership race appears to have confirmed that shift. 

After years at the pinnacle of Uganda’s political hierarchy, Anita Among now faces one of the most uncertain phases of her political career.

And on Tuesday, May 19, in a dramatic escalation of the ongoing corruption investigation targeting the outgoing Speaker of Parliament, joint security forces sealed off her parliamentary office and that of the Clerk to Parliament Adolf Mwesige, turning the building's upper floors into an active crime scene.

Appearing to mean business, investigators even plastered manila papers with the words 'Notice! Crime Scene. Do not cross!' emblazoned on them.

The lockdown comes less than 48 hours after Ms Among made a stunning political retreat, officially withdrawing from the 12th Parliament speakership race following weeks of mounting executive and public pressure. 

Her withdrawal followed coordinated weekend raids by the police and the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) at her luxury residences in Nakasero, Kigo and Ntinda.

During those operations, high-end assets, including a Ksh.123 million Rolls-Royce and several Range Rovers, were impounded and towed to the Naguru Police Headquarters as exhibits. 

The fast-moving probe, reportedly authorized directly by President Museveni, follows a formal petition to the Inspectorate of Government alleging gross under-declaration of wealth, money laundering, and breaches of the Leadership Code Act.

By early Tuesday morning, reports the Daily Monitor, several forensic experts and senior investigators were seen entering the sealed offices carrying document cases, signaling a thorough digital and physical audit of parliamentary procurement and financial records. 

While the Inspectorate of Government and the Police Spokesperson have declined to comment on the specifics of the ongoing search, the atmospheric shift at the Ugandan Parliament signals a historic, high-stakes accountability showdown within the ruling establishment.

Ugandan political commentator Ian Ortega, writing in The Observer, said: "Anita Among allegedly raided the coffers of parliament and accumulated immense resources, what revolutionaries might call primitive accumulation of wealth." 

"She consolidated power within parliament, neutralized opposition, and reportedly built influence within the judiciary. Loyalty could be bought, and she was willing to outbid anyone."

He added: "Museveni himself must also be understood within context. He is ageing. He is in the evening of his political life. What would another five years of an increasingly powerful Among have meant? In the event of presidential incapacitation, she would likely have emerged as the single most powerful civilian political figure in the country."