Former Speaker Anita Among faces removal from NRM CEC

Former Speaker of Parliament Anita Among is staring down at a forceful removal or voluntary resignation from her position on the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) Central Executive Committee (CEC) following growing pressure over corruption allegations and abuse of office claims.

The former speaker, who was unceremoniously removed from the speaker’s race, could soon be subjected to a code of conduct  probe by her party leadership, and potentially compelled to relinquish her position as the second national deputy chairperson.

This is according to newly reappointed Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister Norbert Mao, who also has ties to the ruling party through a collaboration agreement with his own Democratic Party 

Mao told members of the press that he, as the Minister of Justice was privy to much more unpublicised information about Anita Among’s alleged abuse of office at Parliament

He noted for instance that the former Speaker breached procurement and budget procedures, including the awarding of a Shs 3 billion Parliament public relations contract to her own Mama Bukedea FM

“There was never a call for bids from other radio stations in the country. They just sat down and awarded the Shs 3 billion contract to the station,” Mao said.

“As a leader, your expenditure should be proportionate to your income,” Mao said while referring to allegations surrounding Among’s luxury properties and the widely discussed Rolls Royce vehicle saga.

Mao said Among’s removal from the Speaker’s office was only the first “political punishment,” but that the NRM party now faces another decision regarding her future within its top organ.

“The NRM party will now sit to review her actions in relation to its code of conduct and decide whether or not she should remain serving as Deputy Party Chairperson,” Mao said.

“From what I have seen so far, she was not invited to the last CEC meeting. The writing is on the wall,” he added.

Among serves as the NRM’s Second National Vice Chairperson (Female), a position she won after defeating former Speaker Rebecca Kadaga during the party’s CEC elections.