Known as a woman who goes out to achieve her targets, Anita Among has openly discussed her intention to take over from Speaker, Jacob Oulanyah, but this will not happen until 2031.

Among, who is serving her second term as Bukedea District Woman Member of Parliament, was elected Deputy Speaker in May 2021 after she defeated now Government Chief Whip Thomas Tayebwa and Mawokota South MP Yusuf Nsibambi.

However, a recent dossier making rounds on social media suggested that President Yoweri Museveni was pondering removing Among from the Office of Deputy Speaker over what was referred to as corruption.

The Deputy Speaker who has not made a public comment about the allegations which some MPs have taken to social media to repulse, used the Tuesday afternoon plenary sitting to show her boldness in sending a message that she is going nowhere.

While presiding over the motion for Parliament to pay tribute to the late Florence Lubega, the first female to ever be elected to the National Assembly, Anita Among put her foes on notice, indicating that she is here to stay in the steering position for at least 20 years. Lubega died last week at the age of 103.

Among told women from all walks of life not to be intimidated by anything that comes their way but rather stand firm to win such battles and claim recognition in public.

“Women never allow themselves to be brought down. You need to fight for yourselves. I have ten years as Deputy Speaker and 10 years as Speaker,” Among said before gaining chorus support from the MPs.

The Deputy Speaker looked to be suggesting that she will not allow to be brought down by the anonymous group of people behind the social media dossier that has recently been circulating.

On Monday, she cancelled at the last minute a press conference organised in the Parliament’s conference hall, leaving reporters to guess what she had intended to communicate.

Journalists, however, had prepared to raise questions in regard to the dossier which carried content related to bribery and failure to clear debt obligations.

Formerly a deputy National Treasurer of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Among unsuccessfully challenged in the East African Court of Justice her loss in the race to be elected a member of the regional assembly in 2011.

Having lost the Bukedea District Woman MP election on FDC ticket in 2011, Among decided to run as an independent candidate in 2016 defeating former Internal Affairs Minister Rose Akol. 

She would then start to become an NRM leaning legislator while cementing a close working relationship with President Museveni.   

After winning the NRM primaries in September 2020, Anita Among was declared unopposed after the Electoral Commission closed nominations without receiving any candidate from the opposition parties. 

Her assertion on the record of Parliament is an early indication that she would not battle her boss Oulanyah for the Speaker’s position if they all win re-election to Parliament in 2026. 

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