Speaker Anita Among Named as Potential Successor to President Museveni in Parliamentary Report
KAMPALA – A political storm is brewing in Uganda’s Parliament after a minority report formally listed Speaker Anita Among as a potential future president, placing her among the country’s top political heavyweights.
The report was presented by Erute South MP Jonathan Odur during a debate on the UPDF Amendment Bill, 2025. Odur argued that the nation must soon prepare for a future after President Yoweri Museveni and carefully consider the qualities of individuals who could assume the highest office.
The document listed a mix of prominent opposition figures and ruling party stalwarts as possible successors. Names included National Unity Platform’s Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine), Forum for Democratic Change’s Patrick Amuriat and Nathan Nandala Mafabi, Democratic Party’s Norbert Mao, former FDC leaders Dr. Kizza Besigye and Gen. Mugisha Muntu, and the President’s son, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
The inclusion of Rt. Hon. Anita Among, the current Speaker of Parliament, has generated significant buzz, signaling her rising stature in national politics.
Odur urged legislators and the public to reflect on the individuals listed, assessing their “soberness, fidelity to the law, ideology, actions, sentiments, service record, and capabilities.”
“This House may have already noticed the following names… as potential future Presidents starting 2026 and beyond,” the report stated, before naming Among alongside the others. The MP emphasized the importance of imagining how each potential leader would wield the powers proposed in the new bill.
The explicit mention of Speaker Among is likely to fuel intense speculation about her political ambitions. Analysts suggest this reflects her growing influence from presiding over Parliament and her increasing visibility nationwide.
Wider Political Calculations
The report emerges amid intense behind-the-scenes chatter about Uganda’s political future, particularly beyond the 2026 elections. While President Museveni is widely expected to run and win again, attention is shifting to the post-2031 era, when he will be 85 years old.
Sources indicate that uncertainty about leadership after Museveni has prompted maneuvering within the National Resistance Movement (NRM). Some party insiders believe “young Turks” like Among are strategically consolidating support within Parliament, party structures, and regional blocs.
There are reports of a nascent splinter group within the NRM, allegedly involving figures from Eastern Uganda, including Among and Captain Mike Mukula. This group is said to be building a wider Eastern power base with an eye on the presidency post-2031, arguing that it is the region’s turn to lead.
However, succession politics within the NRM have historically been perilous. The fate of former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi, who was sidelined after expressing presidential ambition, serves as a cautionary tale.
The situation draws comparisons to former Speaker Rebecca Kadaga, who recently issued a public statement denying any presidential ambitions, calling such rumors “misinformation.” Whether Speaker Among adopts a similar cautious approach or embraces the speculation remains a focal point of Uganda’s evolving political landscape.
With the 2026 elections approaching, the minority report has undoubtedly inserted Speaker Anita Among’s name squarely into the centre of Uganda’s most sensitive political conversation: who will eventually succeed President Yoweri Museveni.
