By Adonis Byemelwa
Uganda’s security agencies have launched a joint corruption investigation into assets linked to former parliamentary Speaker Anita Among, in what analysts describe as one of the country’s most politically influential anti-corruption probes in recent years.
The operation was first reported by East Africa Television, followed by NBS Television and Daily Monitor, as pressure mounted across Uganda’s political establishment.
The search operation was conducted by a joint task force comprising officers from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), military intelligence units and counterterrorism authorities.
The operation targeted properties in Nakasero, Ntinda and Mutongo-Kigo in Wakiso District, areas associated with Uganda’s political and business elite.
Authorities seized assets linked to Anita Foundation Co. Ltd., including a Rolls-Royce Cullinan and a Range Rover bearing the personalised registration “AAA”.
The Range Rover was later transferred to the police forensic headquarters in Naguru for technical verification.
As of Wednesday night, Ugandan authorities had not formally filed criminal charges, released a complete inventory of seized assets or publicly disclosed the full scope of the investigation. Officials also remained cautious about commenting on ongoing inquiries.
The probe is being conducted under Uganda’s Anti-Corruption Act of 2009 and the Leadership Code Act, legislation that allows investigators to examine unexplained wealth and possible violations of public accountability standards.
“The credibility of this investigation depends entirely on evidence, due process and transparency,” a Kampala-based governance lawyer said during legal discussions on local media. “If fair procedures cannot be demonstrated, this high-profile investigation will quickly lose public confidence.”
The investigation comes at a time when Uganda is grappling with rising living costs, persistent youth unemployment and widening social inequality. Civil society organisations and opposition groups have repeatedly criticised the lavish lifestyles of senior political officials amid worsening economic pressures.
Public debate surrounding luxury vehicles, designer fashion and high-end real estate linked to political elites has increasingly shifted from social media into mainstream political discourse.
Pressure on the situation intensified in 2024 after the United States and the United Kingdom imposed sanctions and travel restrictions over allegations linked to corruption and abuse of public office. He denied wrongdoing and described the sanctions as foreign interference in Uganda’s domestic affairs.
The investigation escalated dramatically this week after Daily Monitor reported that Ugandan security agencies sealed the parliamentary offices of Among and Clerk to Parliament Adolf Mwesige Kasaija, designating the premises as active crime scenes.
According to the newspaper, CID detectives, supported by armed security personnel and forensic experts, sealed off the fifth floor of Parliament on 19 May while investigators searched offices, electronic devices, and financial records linked to the inquiry.
The parliamentary searches followed earlier weekend raids at Among’s private properties in Nakasero, Ntinda and Kigo, where law enforcement officers reportedly impounded a Rolls-Royce Cullinan and several Range Rover vehicles before transferring them to Naguru Police Headquarters.
Aisha Nalweze Batala later confirmed that investigators were examining allegations involving failure to disclose assets, possible money laundering and breaches of the Leadership Code Act.
The probe has also intensified tensions inside Uganda’s ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), with Among withdrawing from the race for Speaker of the 12th Parliament under mounting political pressure.
Uganda’s ruling party subsequently withdrew its support for Among’s continued leadership, amid growing concern over the political damage caused by the corruption allegations and public frustration over governance failures and unequal wealth distribution.
“The perception of political immunity has become a serious electoral risk for ruling parties across Africa,” a political economist from Makerere University said during a recent Kampala governance forum. “The real challenge is whether anti-corruption enforcement becomes institutional or selective.”
A regional political analyst based in East Africa argued that the ruling coalition’s response reflected an attempt to contain reputational damage while addressing growing public dissatisfaction with accountability and elite privilege.
Transparency advocates also noted that while Uganda possesses relatively strong anti-corruption legislation on paper, enforcement standards have historically appeared inconsistent in cases involving senior political figures.
“The central question is whether equal legal standards will be applied to powerful political insiders and ordinary citizens alike,” a representative from a local transparency advocacy organisation observed.
Attention is now turning to Uganda’s Inspectorate of Government, anti-corruption prosecutors and police investigators, whose next steps could determine whether the case develops into a landmark accountability process or another politically contested investigation.
At the same time, the rise of the Patriotic League of Uganda, linked to Muhoozi Kainerugaba, is increasingly reshaping succession debates within Uganda’s ruling establishment.
For many observers across East Africa, the controversy has evolved beyond one political figure. The outcome of the Among investigation is now widely viewed as a pivotal test of whether Uganda’s anti-corruption institutions can consistently enforce accountability laws at the highest levels of political power.
