The president of the National Unity Platform (NUP) Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu aka Bobi Wine has urged the Inspector General of Government (IGG) Betty Kamya to investigate the Speaker of parliament Anita Among over allegations of corruption and the arrest of Bukoto South MP Dr. Twaha Kagabo.
Recently, the country woke up to reports of a bribery scheme at the Parliament of Uganda out of which each Member of Parliament allegedly pocketed Shs 40 million. The legislators were allegedly paid to pass a supplementary budget moments before the 2022/2023 budget reading.
Following the dishing out of the money, Bobi Wine held a crisis meeting at the party headquarters and asked that MPs who subscribe to the party should return the money in question.
According to Bobi Wine, Some MPs admitted and confessed to have received the money from the Speaker of Parliament Ms. Annet Anita Among. They claimed that Among personally handed over the money to them at her residence in Nakasero opposite the Court of Appeal.
On Monday, Dr. Kagabo returned the money to the Leader of Opposition Matthias Mpuuga who advised him to return the money to Speaker Anita Among from whom he publicly confessed to have received it.
On stepping out of the offices at Parliament heading to Speaker Among’s home, he was arrested by Parliamentary police who handed him over to the IGG to face charges of extortion.
“The timing of Hon. Kagabo’s arrest is as suspicious as it is curious. It would not be far-fetched to say that by arresting Kagabo, the office of the IGG is being misused to unfairly shield Speaker Anita Among from public scrutiny and potential prosecution for corruption and abuse of office. Under her vindictive leadership, the hallowed parliamentary building has been turned into a filthy temple of corruption and unabashed deal-cutting,” Bobi Wine said.
Bobi Wine said anybody who stands in Anita Among way is summarily dealt with either by the Parliamentary administration she heads or by other national institutions such as the police force. He said when Mityana Municipality MP Francis Zaake stood up to her; she mobilised and bought off some MPs to impeach him.
He claimed that the parliamentary staff suspected of leaking details of over Shs 2 billion which was used to buy her a luxury vehicle were terminated from their jobs. “She is now using the IGG to persecute Kagabo for publicly disclosing her personal involvement in the Shs 40 million bribe scheme. How much longer should the Speaker continue getting away with this kind of impunity!?”
“We want you Dr. Kagabo to know that we stand with him at this hour of great moral conflict. In the same breath, we call out the office of the IGG for the bias it has shown so far in Kagabo’s matter. The IGG, and any other interested authority, must investigate this issue with the fairness and impartiality it deserves. Any accusation of corruption leveled against the Speaker of Parliament must be acknowledged and thoroughly investigated instead of persecuting the complainants. Speaker Anita Among is not above the law!” he said.
