By Richard Goloba a Political Analyst
In 2022, Bukedea Woman MP, Annet Anita Among was voted as the Speaker of the 11th parliament to replace Jacob Oulanyah who died only nine months after being voted into the position. In the same election, Ruhinda North County MP, Thomas Tayebwa was voted as the next Deputy Speaker of parliament to replace Among who relinquished the position for an upper one, and their rise to these top positions since none of them had spent close to 10 years in the NRM party through which they were elected to the position. She had just National Resistance Movement (NRM) about 2 years after crossing from the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC).
Her methods of work, being assertive, aggressive, and combative while dealing with some sections of the communities, has in many ways crafted many invisible enemies who felt uncomfortable and threatened. The over rapping generosity towards the public either directly through her interventions and support to MP’s plea request has over time been misinterpreted in some sections, as being ambitious or overshadowing some people. I can authoritatively say that she has over-supported her MPs in their constituencies, churches, schools, and health centers, among others across the country. Many stressed MPs have run to her for bailouts, so as to survive the devouring money lenders, who have at some occasions put some behind bars for failure to pay back loans.
Rt Hon Anita Among, as speaker, has generously contributed towards many social causes brought about to her attention by MPs, community leaders, etc, I remember vividly when a group of citizens alongside their MPs from West Nile, petitioned her office over the erratic power cuts, which they claimed had affected the hospitals, especially the maternity wards, she promised a fully-fledged solar system for Arua Regional Referral Hospital, costs were made and, am readily informed that they are procured and awaiting installation, to save the people more so the expecting mothers going for labour. These and many more others, she has worked on in different constituencies.
SOCIAL MEDIA THRUST
There is a new wave of perceived social, economic, and political influencers, mainly on X platform users who are increasingly using these platforms as new tools to shape narratives and fight political, legal, and business wars. These hired social media users called influencers are now deeply involved in running dark schemes that promote propaganda and blackmail.
They have resorted to blackmail, an act of coercion using the threat of revealing or publicizing either substantially true or false information about a person or people unless certain demands are met. It is often damaging information and may be revealed to family members or associates and sometimes to the general public, after failing to agree on settlements, securing employment or contracts, etc which they deem deserving to them.
We have witnessed The #UgandaParliamentExhibition, whose promoters claimed are fighting corruption by exposing it to the public, posting allegedly classified information about the spending spree in Parliament, but in reality, they had a hidden agenda or motive to target the person of Anita Annet Among, the Speaker of Parliament. The lead campaigners had claimed that it’s a campaign for a good cause, yet it’s now evident that it’s not an innocent campaign for accountability. But a planned scheme to undermine the integrity, personality, and credibility of the Speaker, and the institution of Parliament.
Speaker, Anita Among’s strong support and stand against Homosexuality, and since the Bill was passed and signed into law, many negative forces have been working around the clock to drag her in mud, and many have petitioned foreign governments to block her from traveling to those countries. Sadly, this has been championed by our own people. The blackmailers have tried many times to use threats of physical, mental, or emotional harm, to subdue her for personal gain, most commonly of position, money, or property.
During one plenary session, the Speaker noted that “The problem we have with our friends who love social media is that they know everything. They are doctors, nurses, gynecologists, and pediatricians; they even want to be Ssalongo’s when they cannot be. They want to know when a Nnalongo is pregnant. They know everything, but they do not know anything. Do not give us a shrinking social space. We are here to serve the nation; we have lives to live and we must live our lives to the fullest”.
The advent of social media has transformed the way people interact, communicate, and share information globally. While it has brought numerous benefits, it has also given rise to various challenges and legal issues.
TESO POLITICS: DECADES OF DISCORD
Teso region has over time produced the finest leaders in Uganda, they have served under many governments, however, the personal vendetta between Col.William Omaria and late Ateker Ejalu two great gentlemen who served in Obote’s government, sowed of discord within Teso region, and the subsequent leaders have been divided along those ugly political divisions even when Soroti, the mother district from which (Katakawi, Amuria, Serere, Soroti City and District) have been curved, were still one. The endless rivalries, and bickering geared towards undermining any person who has ascended to any high office, and pulling that person down has continued to be seen evidently displayed, given an opportunity. These groups have now and again continued to undermine others using dreadful propaganda, and extensive blackmail through their actions and public utterances to the population, and even in offices. All aimed at being the only bull and having the supremacy within the region. The region was known to have the best police officers, administrators, etc but very many have been brought down by their own people, and once it’s known to the electorate, they also await for a payback time.
In this tenure 2021-2026, Teso saw unprecedented appointments of its sons and daughters at the national level with Rt Honorable Anita Annet Among starting as Deputy Speaker, and within no time a full Speaker, after the untimely death of Rt Honorable Jacob Oluanyah, Rt Maj Jessica Alupo as Vice President, Hon Gen Jeje Odongo as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon Musa Ecewru, Hon Peter Ogwanga, Hon Hellen Adoa and Hon Okaasai Opolot as State Ministers, something other regions feel envy. But the long-held discord was evident during the Soroti East Division by-election, as different camps complained of intrigue and infighting which were questioned by their people and they concluded that it’s a battle for supremacy. The battle to claim the vacant Serere County MP seat gained momentum, and the population and Teso leadership saw the division of three parallel camps with each camp claiming supremacy in the poll.
Alliance for National Transformation had Alice Alaso Asianut, Independent Emmanuel Omoding, son to the deceased MP Patrick Okabe- who had the backing of a section of NRM leadership, while they had their official candidate. Emmanuel Omoding won the race, the same happened in Bukedea LC V by election, these defeated groups have now ganged to work and finish the Speaker, am yet to see their scheme successful.
The #ParliamentUgandaExhibition has come out with documents about alleged corruption, abuse of office, illegal recruitment of staff, and questionable expenditure at the current Parliament. Many political actors have jumped on this bandwagon, weighed in, and out rightly condemned the Parliamentary leadership without verification, and surprisingly some are MPs, who have been traveling on Parliamentary work within and outside the country. People are wondering whether they have done a lot of groundwork, to pounce on their leader.
I have never had the Speaker declare herself that she has immunity over criticism, people shouldn’t take these episodes of blackmail seriously. We should also understand that criticism is a tool for intelligent and well-intentioned individuals, whereas blackmail is employed by deceitful individuals.
There is a section of politicians who got scared of the pronouncement that Rt Honorable Anita Annet Among is there to be Speaker for 20 years, firstly to serve as Deputy and then as Speaker. Let’s allow the Speaker to do her job, with the performance so far, the 11th Parliament is doing well.
