Prime
Speaker Among accuses UK of forging house ownership evidence to Museveni
Speaker of Parliament Anita Among. PHOTO/FILE
What you need to know:
- Parliament reportedly responded to Mr Museveni's letter.
- Ms Among denies ever owning any assets in the UK.
President Museveni has asked Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among to explain whether she owns a house in the United Kingdom or she’s renting after he reportedly got information contrary to what the Bukeadea Woman MP gave him.
“I have got information that is contrary to what you told me, that you, indeed, own a house in London in the form of Flat 4, Silk House, 7 Waterden Road, London, E20 3AL, United Kingdom. Do you own that house or are you renting it?,” Mr Museveni writes in a leaked letter which Parliament sources said was responded to about two days ago.
The May 23 letter which was on Wednesday made public for the first time is copied to Inspector General of Government and Minister of Foreign Affairs.
“By copies of this letter, I direct the Minister of Foreign Affairs to contact the UK Government and get details regarding this house. The IGG is also informed,” Mr Museveni adds.
Following UK sanctions that involved travel ban and asset freeze against the Speaker and two former ministers for the restive Karamoja sub region, Ms Among denied ever owning any assets in the UK.
Hours after Mr Museveni’s letter was made public, the Director, Communication and Public Affairs Parliament, Chris Obore insisted on Wednesday that Ms Among owns no property in the UK.
“Speaker Anita Among owns no property in UK. We would be glad to see the land title of the alleged property. The lies have expiry date. President Museveni is evidence-based decision maker not driven by emotions and will demand evidence,” he posted on his X (formerly Twitter) handle.
Several minutes after Mr Obore’s reaction, the Speaker posted on her X handle accusing the UK of forging evidence that she owns the property.
“Since the UK government claims I own property, it should be prudent of them to state which property I own as Anita Annet Among. Forgery should be the least the world can expect from them. I am sure this is the answer my President, our government, and myself want from them. Nothing else. The alleged house plot, Flat 4, Silk House, 7 Waterden Road, London, E20 3AL, United Kingdom, which they informed the President is owned by myself, surely has an owner who is registered in their own system (the UK Government), and this owner, as per their own record, is not Anita Among,” the Speaker posted.
On April 30, the UK government, in a first, invoked the Global Anti-Corruption sanctions regime on Ms Among as well as two former Karamoja ministers—Mary Goretti Kitutu and Agnes Nandutu—following their involvement in the iron sheets (mabaati) theft scandal.
The three were sanctioned alongside 42 other individuals from Bulgaria, Kosovo, Colombia, Russia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Zimbabwe, Israel, Lebanon, Honduras, Equatorial Guinea, and Guatemala.
“Specifically, Among, whilst Speaker of Parliament of Uganda and Member of Parliament for Bukedea District, is or has been responsible for or engaged in serious corruption,” reads in part the consolidated list of financial sanctions targets in the UK by the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation.
Speaker Among has described the sanctions as “politically motivated” over her stance on homosexuality, especially the Anti-Homosexuality law and vowed not to back down.
Following President Museveni’s May 11 letter to Foreign Affairs Minister Jeje Odongo, instructing him to engage UK authorities on the same, this publication understands there have been back-and-forth engagements on the matter.
Speaker Among's response
Fellow Ugandans, While I had chosen not to respond to the pieces of malicious content and schemes thrown at me by various actors from within and outside our country, I wish now to comment briefly on the issue of my alleged ownership of properties in the UK, which is now a subject of diplomatic engagement between our two countries. I am glad that His Excellency the President of Uganda has given attention to this matter and rightfully chosen to seek the truth through formal diplomatic channels.
Indeed, like the known principle of natural justice recognized in most jurisdictions of the Commonwealth (including Britain), the one who alleges must prove. Since the UK government claims I own property, it should be prudent of them to state which property I own as Anita Annet Among.
Forgery should be the least the world can expect from them. I am sure this is the answer my President, our government, and myself want from them. Nothing else.
The alleged house plot, Flat 4, Silk House, 7 Waterden Road, London, E20 3AL, United Kingdom, which they informed the President is owned by myself, surely has an owner who is registered in their own system (the UK Government), and this owner, as per their own record, is not Anita Among. Fellow Ugandans, while this matter is exciting to some because of our own internal political contradictions and intrigue, I insist and wish to alert all, soundly, that the issue is not the alleged corruption or ownership in the UK. The attempts to forge and claim that I own property when their own records show the contrary tell it all. The real crux of the matter is about targeting Anita Among for being vocal against homosexuality. The rest is a cover-up. The truth will set me free. (John 8:32)
