Parliament has dispelled UK corruption allegations on Speaker Anita Among as baseless, malicious and politically motivated.
In a statement issued by Parliament spokesperson, Chris Obore, the statement released by the UK Deputy Foreign Secretary, Andrew Mitchell is false “because the Rt. Hon Speaker has never been charged with corruption in any courts of law, contrary to the insinuation in the statement.”
The UK government, in its statement issued by Minster Mitchell on Tuesday, slapped sanctions on the Speaker Among and two other former ministers; Mary Kitutu and Agnes Nandutu over the alleged diversion of iron sheets meant for the vulnerable people of Karamoja. Whereas the two former ministers were indeed charged with corruption, Speaker Among was not party to the charge sheet or even summoned.
“The statement claims the sanctions are due to charges purportedly faced by the Rt. Hon Speaker and two other Ministers in the Anti-Corruption Court, which is a false premise because the Rt. Hon Speaker has never been charged with corruption in any courts of law, contrary to the insinuation in the statement,” Obore said.
Obore said Speaker Among is being witch-hunted for her stance on the Anti-Homosexuality law.
“The iron sheets have been used as a ruse to conceal the real, unstated but clearly obvious reason for the sanctions – which is the Rt. Hon Speaker’s stance on the recently enacted Anti-Homosexuality Act,” he said.
He urged foreign governments to desist from meddling in the political affairs of other sovereign states.
“It is important that foreign partners, including the United Kingdom, respect the sovereignty of Uganda, and avoid the temptation to meddle into our local politics, including arm-twisting decision makers to align with their value system, especially on homosexuality,” Obore said.
Andrew Mitchell is a renowned gay rights activist who publicly lashed at Parliament and Speaker Among for passing what he termed as a repressive human rights law last year.
