FROM CHIMPREPORTS
Uganda’s Speaker of Parliament, Anita Annet Among, has withdrawn from the race for Speaker of the 12th Parliament amid mounting political pressure and expanding investigations into her wealth and assets.
In a statement issued Monday, Among said she had decided not to contest after wide consultations and deep introspection aimed at maintaining harmony and clarity within the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).
Her withdrawal follows days of political turmoil after the Patriotic League of Uganda PLU, led by Chief of Defence Forces Muhoozi Kainerugaba, withdrew support for Among and endorsed Defence Minister Jacob Oboth Oboth for Speaker.
At the same time, investigators intensified operations targeting properties linked to Among. Over the weekend, police detectives, intelligence operatives and soldiers raided a luxury residence linked to the outgoing Speaker in Kigo, an upscale lakeside suburb along Lake Victoria.
Sources familiar with the operation described the residence as a heavily fortified mansion allegedly worth more than $6 million, fitted with reinforced concrete structures and bullet-resistant glass.
The Kigo search followed another overnight operation at Among’s Nakasero residence, where investigators reportedly seized documents, electronic devices and her mobile phone for forensic analysis.
