Former Speaker of Parliament Anita Annet Among is reportedly seeking permission to occasionally attend parliamentary plenary sessions as she faces the possibility of losing her position as Bukedea Woman Member of Parliament after missing the required number of sittings.
According to reports, Among’s concerns were communicated through a delegation of leaders from the Teso sub-region who recently travelled to Kapeeka in Nakaseke District to meet Gen. Salim Saleh and request his intervention.
The delegation, which included Members of Parliament, cultural leaders and religious figures, reportedly asked Gen. Saleh to use his influence to help relax restrictions surrounding Among and allow her to return to Parliament and visit her home area of Bukedea.
The meeting was said to have followed an earlier visit by the leaders to Among’s residence in Nakasero, where they reportedly met the former Speaker and listened to her concerns.
The leaders allegedly told Gen. Saleh that Among had asked them to reach out to anyone who could help her situation, claiming that her attempts to directly communicate with President Yoweri Museveni had not succeeded.
Led by Bukedea County MP David Okweere Beecham, the delegation reportedly explained that Among was worried about the possibility of losing her parliamentary seat due to missing 15 consecutive plenary sittings.
Under parliamentary rules, an MP who is absent from 15 consecutive sittings without permission risks having their seat declared vacant.
The delegation reportedly asked that Among be allowed to make occasional appearances in Parliament so that she does not fall victim to the rule and lose her position representing Bukedea.
According to reports from the meeting, Gen. Salim Saleh told the delegation that he personally had no personal disagreement with Among, describing her as someone he had known for a long time.
Saleh reportedly said Among had previously visited him frequently and had supported him generously during her time as one of the country’s most powerful political figures.
However, he is said to have explained that he did not have the authority to reverse certain decisions affecting her current situation.
The delegation reportedly informed Saleh that Among was facing serious financial difficulties because her bank accounts had allegedly been frozen, leaving her unable to access money for basic household needs.
They allegedly claimed that the former Speaker was struggling to provide food for her family and had requested assistance to access supplies from her home district of Bukedea.
The leaders reportedly told Saleh that Among wanted to be allowed to travel to Bukedea so she could obtain food and other necessities for her household in Nakasero.
However, Saleh reportedly told them that his hands were tied and that he could not intervene directly in the matter.
He is also reported to have warned Among’s supporters against escalating the situation, saying that some powerful individuals remained unhappy and wanted accountability measures to continue.
According to reports from the meeting, Saleh suggested that the anger surrounding Among’s case could take time to reduce, joking that it could take several years before tensions cool down.
He reportedly advised the delegation to allow Among to face the situation while focusing their attention on President Museveni’s wider economic transformation agenda.
The former Speaker has been under scrutiny following investigations into Parliament’s financial management, with several parliamentary officials facing charges related to alleged corruption, including embezzlement and causing financial loss.
The reports about her missing parliamentary sessions come at a time when questions continue to grow over her political future and whether she will remain the Bukedea Woman MP.
If she continues missing sittings without approval, Parliament could be forced to consider whether she has violated attendance requirements.
Neither Anita Among nor her official representatives have publicly confirmed the reported details of the meeting or the alleged request for intervention.
The developments have attracted significant public attention as Uganda watches how the situation involving one of its most influential political figures unfolds amid ongoing investigations and political pressure.
