Speaker of Parliament Anita Among has promised to meet and listen to the concerns of her critic Ms. Fatuma Nansubuga who has been on remand in Luzira Prison on charges of Public Nuisance after she peacefully demonstrated outside Parliament, with a placard that demanded the Speaker to resign.
Today, the Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court granted Ms Nansubuga a cash bail of Shs.1m and Shs. 10m non-cash bail to the sureties.
In a surprising turn of events, Among via her X handle (formerly Twitter) stated, “I have seen reports about Ms Fatuma Nansubuga, who was allegedly arrested on my orders and subsequently imprisoned at Luzira Prison for demonstrating outside Parliament premises. I am pleased to hear that she has been released on bail.”
Among added that peaceful demonstration is a constitutional right, and looks forward to listening to her concerns.
“I am a firm believer in the right of citizens to hold leaders accountable, just like Ms Nansubuga was doing. I have a duty to, in due course, engage and listen to her concerns,” Among noted.
Anita Among’s statement marks a significant moment in Uganda’s political landscape. It suggests a potential shift towards greater openness and dialogue between the government and its citizens and it is also a sign that the voices of the people are beginning to be heard.
However, Nansubuga is not the only person who has appeared at Buganda Road Court in the recent past over cases arising from the alleged condemnation of corruption reportedly perpetuated by Speaker Among.
On Wednesday last week, the former Rubaga Division RCC Herbert Anderson Burora was sent to Luzira Prison by the same court on charges of hate speech and spreading malicious information, shortly after he had been suspended from office on allegations of having continued to issue or utter statements to the social media without express authority from his line supervisors.
Burora had criticized the Speaker Among over corruption on X and he has been denied bail twice over charges of hate speech and spreading malicious information against Speaker of Parliament Anita Among and has been further remanded until July 12, 2024.
