No Regret Endorsing Among, Says Ally as MPs Question Timing of Parliament Corruption Probe

KAMPALA — As investigations into corruption allegations against former Speaker of Parliament Anita Among gather pace, one of her political allies has declared he has no regret endorsing her for a second term, even as other lawmakers question why authorities took so long to act.

Ojara Mapenduzi, the representative for Bardege-Layibi Division and a known ally of the former Speaker, said he has seen no proof of wrongdoing by Among and urged Ugandans not to judge her without evidence.

“No, I don’t have any regret. I don’t,” Ojara stated. “When you look at my video, I talk about the achievements of the 11th Parliament, I talk about the good things that the Speaker did. If there are bad things, I do not know about them, the investigations are going on, the outcome will be clear.”

He cautioned against forgetting the positive contributions of public figures. “It is wrong to judge people when you do not have any proof, but it’s also wrong for you to forget the good things that somebody has done.”

Ojara argued that if the government had acted earlier when allegations first surfaced, some of the money reportedly stolen over the past two years could have been recovered. However, he welcomed the current probe, saying it sends a strong message to all public office holders that the law can reach them, given that it has not spared a figure as powerful as the former Speaker.

“The office of the Speaker is the highest that has no immunity and, therefore, any intervention at this office sends a very huge warning to all other players, to all other people that are having offices bestowed with power and authority that gives them proximity to resources,” he said. “This is a strong warning that the long arm of the law is soon stretching to them.”

MPs Question Delayed Action

Meanwhile, Timothy Batuwa (Jinja City South West) welcomed the police probe into corruption allegations within Parliament but expressed concern over the timing, wondering why the investigation did not begin while Among was still in office.

“All these cases coming up in this transitional window, it is as though corruption is a political crime,” Batuwa said. “They are treating it in a way as if the Speaker had immunity, as if the Speaker could not be investigated while in office. This is wrong, definitely.”

Batuwa argued that the delay makes the anti-corruption fight appear politicized and raises suspicion about the motivations behind the investigation. “They could have handled this much earlier. So, coming this late is, of course, very suspicious. You come to believe that there is another idea that could have motivated them into investigating these crimes and, of course, what they are finding is overwhelming.”

He added that the country should not have lost so much money and property due to what he called a failure to act promptly. “We blame them for taking corruption to be a political crime and to use politics to intervene,” Batuwa said, while reiterating the importance of tackling corruption at all levels.

The police investigation into Parliament’s financial dealings continues, with authorities yet to release an official report on their findings.