The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | URN | Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the leader of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) political group has withdrawn his support for Annet Anita Among and Thomas Tayebwa for speaker and deputy speaker, respectively, for the 12th Parliament.
The PLU Secretary General who is also MP for Kasambya County, PO 005 David Kabanda, has told a press conference that Gen. Muhoozi had revoked his endorsement of the duo, which he made public on March 11th.
“The Chairman of the Patriotic League of Uganda Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba has guided that the endorsement of Among and Tayebwa as candidates for Speaker and Deputy Speaker, respectively, for the 12th Parliament of Uganda is retracted and withdrawn with immediate effect,” Kabanda said, “that the Leadership of the Patriotic League of Uganda encourages its Members Elect to support the candidates that will be presented to them by the President for the positions of Speaker and Deputy Speaker.”
Muhoozi’s latest decision comes two days after the Daily Monitor newspaper reported that Speaker Among had bought a Rolls Royce luxury motor vehicle valued at over $500,000. Muhoozi who used his X account to excoriate Among said even him as Museveni’s son for 52 years has never been inside such an expensive vehicle. Muhoozi’s close associates also followed their boss in denouncing Among’s profligacy
The National Resistance Movement parliamentary caucus is expected to sit on Tuesday next week to decide who their candidates for speaker and deputy speaker will be.
NRM’s Central Executive Committee had already endorsed Among and Tayebwa to be the party candidates for speaker and deputy speaker respectively. It is not known how Muhoozi’s public fall out with Among reflects Museveni’s views.
As freshly guided by our Chairman General @mkainerugaba. pic.twitter.com/268SkfQw9z
— Daudi Kabanda (@DaudiKabanda) May 12, 2026
If Museveni who can veto NRM structures’ positions maintains confidence in Among, she will certainly retain her position. If, on the other hand Muhoozi’s views reflect those of Museveni, Among’s candidacy is dead and buried. So far, four people have expressed interest running for speaker in the NRM.
These are Norbert Mao who became NRM government’s Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister following an MOU his Democratic Party entered with NRM, Lydia Wanyoto, Florence Asiimwe and Arioni Yorke Odria.
MPs of the 12th Parliament will be sworn in starting tomorrow up to Friday. Election of speaker and deputy speaker is expected to take place next week.
Fellow Ugandans and Friends of the Diaspora,
The decision by the Patriotic League of Uganda leadership to formally retract its endorsement of the outgoing leadership for the 12th Parliament marks a watershed moment in our political landscape. This step opens a critical path for deep reflection on the foundational values of national leadership. As members of the global diaspora who care deeply about our motherland’s economic prosperity, we firmly stand behind the principle that national leaders must lead by example through modesty, transparency, and selflessness.
True leadership must mirror the reality of the people it represents. At the recent national swearing ceremony, we witnessed a profound contrast. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni stood before the country in a simple, modest white shirt, demonstrating the historical, grounded style that has defined his agricultural and public stewardship. In sharp contrast, the ostentatious displays of luxury and excessive personal style frequently exhibited by outgoing Speaker Anita Among present an uncomfortable contradiction to the baseline realities of everyday citizens.
Consider the hardworking communities of Bukedea and greater eastern Uganda, where families rely heavily on agriculture, cultivating cassava and navigating severe economic pressures. It is mathematically staggering to calculate how many acres of seasonal cassava crops or how much community healthcare capital must be balanced against a single luxury wardrobe item or an imported vehicle. Public office is a trust. Displaying wealth that stands completely uncoupled from verified, taxed income undermines public confidence and erodes institutional integrity.
We must collectively look back to the visionaries who built this nation. To President Museveni, whose historic address at Africa Hall in Addis Ababa in 1986 inspired a generation of diplomats and young professionals, we implore a return to the core tenets of the Ten Point Programme. That foundational vision prioritized national integrity, public accountability, and the total rejection of political self aggrandizement.
The 12th Parliament deserves a leadership completely aligned with these original ideals. In the spirit of the recent directive, we urge all Members of Parliament elect to prioritize integrity, transparency, and fiscal responsibility as they cast their votes. Let us choose leaders who serve the country, rather than those who expect the country to serve them.
You are not serious. Have you seen a complaint anywhere that speaker of Parliament has stolen money???. Does she work in ministry of finance??? Have you heard H.E Kaguta Museveni complaining about the luxurious car bought by the speaker ????😂😂. It simply means she used her own money. A speaker of Parliament is among the top leaders of the country. Do you expect her to just be poor like any other local person in the village. The president is always using choppers and no one complains. Do you know the cost of one chopper and do you know how much it costs to fuel a chopper. Well you said the president was dressed in a casual way i.e just white shirt, not a suit but do you know how much was spent on his swearing in ceremony. It’s 9B Uganda shillings. Why not complain about it. Leave things of the generals to generals. Thank you 🙏
You forgot persis namuganza for speaker
Thank you for pointing that out. The entry of names like Persis Namuganza into this conversation actually proves the main point of the letter. It shows a widespread, shared understanding across the political spectrum that the current state of affairs cannot continue.
The growing list of alternative candidates is not about pushing for one specific politician. Instead, it is clear evidence that the demand for integrity, accountability, and modesty is becoming a collective push from many sides. The recent decision by the Patriotic League of Uganda leadership to pull back their support confirms that the momentum for a real change in direction is growing.
The next Parliament has a huge opportunity to move away from excessive displays of wealth and privilege. Whoever steps up for the position must face the exact same test. The public expects leaders who respect public resources, answer honestly about their income, and put the interests of ordinary Ugandans ahead of personal luxury.
This argument misses how public accountability works. A public official does not need to work at the Ministry of Finance to be accountable for how public resources are utilized. Parliament controls and approves its own massive budgets, and the Speaker is the political head of that entire institution.
Comparing the official movements of a Head of State to the personal luxury assets of a Speaker is a massive logical flaw. The President uses state choppers for official national security and state duties, not as personal luxury birthday gifts. Furthermore, a national event budget like a swearing ceremony goes into the wider economy to pay for public security, venue setup, logistics, and hosting foreign dignitaries. It is a state function, not a personal wardrobe asset.
The public expectation is not for leaders to be poor. It is for leaders to show a clear, documented line between their official public salaries and sudden displays of immense wealth. True leadership means respecting the economic reality of the taxpayers who fund your office. Demanding transparency from top officials is the right of every citizen, not something to be left only to generals.
Among can still win in the parliament. She represents the protection of the interests of the MPs. PLU is part of the Executive. Should they control the parliament? Many may not like Among’s extravagance. But, did she not campaign for Museveni everywhere? Did the executive not benefit from the extravagant speaker? Is it only about the Rolls Royce? If they say Among is under sanctions in the West, who sold Among the Rolls Royce? Where is the Rolls Royce made? Did the sellers not benefit from the sale? Similarly, it does not mean that only the president of a country must be the first to own or ride in a Rolls Royce? Should the president of a country be the richest person in the country? Take for example, USA. The billionaires there are richer than the president and own personal jets. Muhoozi at one point visited Among in her home area and knows that Among is an entrepreneur. She went to parliament already a successful woman. The president became one straight from the bush without much property. But he has since acquired property and opulence during his long service. Therefore, the withdrawal of endorsement for Among should not worry her. Let Among campaign the way she did before for other positions.
This is great
This perspective raises some interesting points, but it confuses private entrepreneurship with public accountability.
First, comparing a Ugandan public servant to an American billionaire is fundamentally flawed. Billionaires in the West use private, audited, commercial wealth to buy luxury assets. The Speaker of Parliament is a public servant funded by taxpayers. The public has a legitimate right to demand that any leader’s lifestyle matches their official, taxed income. This is not about envy. It is about transparency in a country where ordinary citizens face severe economic challenges.
Second, the argument about Parliamentary independence misses the mark. Independence does not mean Parliament should be an island of unaccountability that protects the narrow interests of lawmakers at the expense of the citizens. The Patriotic League of Uganda leadership and other stakeholders are not trying to control Parliament. They are listening to the loud demands of the population for financial discipline and moral integrity in public office.
Finally, while historical campaigns and past political support are well documented, no past service gives a leader a blank cheque to ignore public accountability. True leadership means being accountable today, not relying on past political capital. If a leader claims their wealth comes from private business, the simplest solution is to present clear, taxed proof of income. True independence for our Parliament begins when its leadership is beyond reproach.