WHY M7 PARDONED ANITA AMONG! After 100 Days Under House Arrest, Former Speaker Set Free As Muhoozi Says “Mzee” Forgives Her—But Parliament Officials Remain In Luzira

President Yoweri Museveni has ordered the release of former Speaker of Parliament Anita Annet Among from house arrest, bringing a dramatic twist to a corruption saga that has shaken the leadership of Uganda’s Parliament and left several of her former associates facing criminal charges.

Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba announced the decision on Tuesday, saying President Museveni had instructed him to release the former Speaker and that she would not be prosecuted.

“Mzee has also instructed me to release AAA from house arrest. We shall do that as well. No. We shall not prosecute AAA. She made mistakes but Mzee has decided to forgive her,” Gen Muhoozi posted on X.

The announcement effectively closes, at least for now, one of the most politically explosive chapters in Uganda’s 2026 political landscape.

Among had spent roughly 100 days under restricted movement at her Nakasero residence after security agencies descended on her properties in May as part of investigations into allegations of corruption, illicit enrichment, abuse of office and money laundering.

Her release, however, immediately raised questions about the fate of the wider parliamentary corruption investigation, particularly because several senior officials who worked under her remain in custody and are facing prosecution.

From Parliament’s powerful Speaker to house arrest

Among’s fall from political prominence was remarkably swift. Only months earlier, she was one of the most powerful figures in Uganda’s political establishment. As Speaker of the 11th Parliament and a senior National Resistance Movement figure, she presided over a House in which she wielded enormous influence.

But the relationship between Among and the political establishment began showing cracks before her eventual removal from the Speakership.

Some of the early signs emerged in 2023 during the Bukedea District LC5 by-election. President Museveni ordered an investigation into allegations surrounding the election, including claims of intimidation, violence and vote manipulation. The investigation brought the conduct of officials associated with the Bukedea political machinery under scrutiny.

The controversy was followed by the Karamoja iron-sheets scandal, which further intensified public scrutiny of the conduct of senior government officials and politicians.

By 2024, questions were increasingly being raised about parliamentary expenditure, foreign trips and the management of public resources. An investigation IGG highlighted questions surrounding billions of shillings allegedly spent on foreign trips, while parliamentary officials defended the expenditure.

Then came the luxury lifestyle debate. Among became increasingly associated in the public eye with expensive property, vehicles and a lifestyle that critics argued was difficult to reconcile with ordinary parliamentary earnings.

The issue reached a new level when reports emerged that she had acquired a Rolls-Royce Cullinan reportedly valued at about Shs3.4 billion after taxes. The vehicle became a symbol of the controversy surrounding the former Speaker.

The May crackdown

The decisive moment came in May 2026. Security agencies raided properties linked to Among, including residences in Nakasero, Kigo and Ntinda. Investigators seized exhibits, including luxury vehicles and cash, as part of a probe into unexplained wealth and alleged corruption.

Media reports indicated President Museveni had ordered investigations into Among’s wealth, while police, forensic investigators and military personnel participated in searches of her properties and Parliament offices.

The operation was publicly defended by Gen Muhoozi, who said it was being conducted under President Museveni’s instructions and suggested that the anti-corruption campaign would extend beyond Among. The investigation soon moved into the heart of Parliament.

Among’s former office was searched, while investigators also scrutinised parliamentary records and transactions. By then, her political future had already collapsed.

She announced that she would not seek the Speakership of the 12th Parliament, saying she wanted to preserve harmony within the NRM and would remain available to serve the country as directed by the party and President.

Jacob Oboth-Oboth subsequently became Speaker, with Thomas Tayebwa as Deputy Speaker. Among retained her position as Bukedea District Woman MP but disappeared from public view.

Days of silence

For more than two months, Among remained largely out of sight. Her absence eventually became a political and constitutional issue because MPs are required to attend parliamentary sittings.

On August 4, she made her first public appearance in 83 days by attending Parliament virtually through Zoom.

The appearance ensured that she remained within the constitutional threshold for retaining her parliamentary seat. By then, however, the investigation had expanded.

Several officials who had worked closely with Among were arrested and charged.

Among those detained were Parliament Director of Communications and Public Affairs Chris Obore, former Director of Human Resource Daniel Adilo, Executive Secretary in the Office of the Speaker Leonard Okema, Principal Research Officer Rajab Kaaya Ssemalulu, Principal Protocol Officer Emmanuel Emuron Okwi and other officials.

The officials were accused of offences including embezzlement, causing financial loss and money laundering. Unlike Among, they were taken before court and remanded to Luzira Prison. That contrast has now become the central question surrounding Museveni’s decision.

Museveni’s forgiveness changes the equation

Gen Muhoozi’s announcement that Among will not be prosecuted fundamentally changes the direction of the saga. The CDF did not provide details of what specific “mistakes” President Museveni had forgiven. Neither did the statement explain whether the IGG’s findings would be made public or what would happen to assets seized during the investigations.

The Inspector General of Government had earlier submitted its investigation report on Among to President Museveni, according to Daily Monitor. The inquiry was understood to have examined her declared income and assets against properties associated with her.

Yet there has been no court finding that Among is guilty of corruption.

That distinction is important. An investigation or allegation does not amount to a criminal conviction. The decision announced by Gen Muhoozi therefore represents a presidential political decision rather than a judicial acquittal.

Public reaction: “So is corruption over?” The announcement immediately triggered a heated debate online. Mulima Nsujju Tasobya questioned the apparent dependence of the military leadership on President Museveni’s decisions.

“But when do you ever make an independent decision! Everytime Mzee this Mzee that! By the way, so now is the corruption over?” he posted.

Another user, Edward Enock, simply responded: “Thank you Afande.” Others focused on the seized luxury vehicles.

“Is she getting her cars back too?” asked Kattyville Media. Another user, SNK, joked: “So is she going to be using her Rolls Royce?” The fate of Among’s vehicles remains unclear from the announcement.

Other reactions were more critical. Loumo Marlon Emmy asked what would happen to Chris Obore and the other officials now facing prosecution, arguing that the release of their former boss raised questions about the wider case.

Ivan K Mugume was even more direct, asking why officials around Among were facing trial if the former Speaker herself would not be prosecuted.

“It was never a corruption fight then,” he wrote. For some Ugandans, however, the President’s decision was interpreted as an act of political mercy. One commentator welcomed the move, while another argued that Among’s release showed that the political establishment had always been protecting its own interests.

The unanswered questions

Museveni’s pardon leaves several important questions unanswered.

Will Among’s seized property be returned?

Will the IGG report be made public?

What happens to the corruption cases involving her former aides?

And, perhaps most importantly, what does the decision mean for the government’s wider anti-corruption campaign?

The arrest and prosecution of senior parliamentary officials had been presented as part of an effort to clean up the management of public resources at Parliament.

Seven officials have already been charged in connection with the investigations.

Now that the person at the centre of the political storm has been spared prosecution, critics are likely to argue that the anti-corruption campaign has produced different standards for different suspects.

The government, however, could argue that the cases against the parliamentary staff involve separate alleged offences and that presidential forgiveness of Among does not automatically extinguish criminal liability for other individuals.

For Among, Tuesday’s announcement represents an extraordinary political reprieve.

She went from being one of Uganda’s most powerful political figures to a former Speaker under house arrest, her properties searched and her wealth investigated.

Now, after about 100 days, President Museveni has chosen forgiveness over prosecution.

But while Among walks out of house arrest, the corruption storm she became the face of is far from over.

For the officials already in Luzira and before the courts, the question will be whether the President’s decision marks the end of the crackdown—or simply a new and more complicated chapter in Uganda’s fight against corruption.

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Stephen Kasozi Muwambi: Mr. Stephen Kasozi Muwambi is a seasoned crime investigative writer, majoring in judicial-based stories. His two decades’ experience as a senior investigative journalist has made him one of the best to reckon on in Uganda. He can also be reached via [email protected]