Rising Like Fire, Falling Like Ash: How Anita Among Climbed Higher and Fell Harder

In the annals of Uganda’s political theatre, few figures have risen with such velocity and fallen with such abruptness as Anita Annet Among. Her story is not merely one of personal ambition but of the shifting sands of patronage, loyalty, and scandal that define the corridors of power in Kampala.

To narrate her journey is to trace the arc of a woman who, in less than a decade, transformed from a provincial legislator into the Speaker of Parliament, only to find herself engulfed by the very controversies that once seemed powerless against her iron grip.

Born in Bukedea in 1973, Among’s early life was marked by struggle and resilience. She worked as a cleaner and cashier at Centenary Bank before rising to branch manager, later lecturing accounting at Makerere University Business School and at the Kampala International University.

These humble beginnings gave her a reputation for grit, a quality that would serve her well in the rough‑and‑tumble of Ugandan politics.

Her first foray into politics was through the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), where she contested unsuccessfully.

But her instincts told her that survival and influence lay not in defiance but in alignment with the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).

Crossing the aisle, she secured her place in the ruling party’s machinery, a move that would prove decisive.

Her rise was meteoric. In 2021, she was elected Deputy Speaker of Parliament, becoming only the second woman to hold that position after Rebecca Kadaga.

When Jacob Oulanyah passed away in 2022, the NRM’s Central Executive Committee swiftly rallied behind Among.

Her loyalty to President Museveni was unquestioned, her ability to mobilize MPs unmatched. In a Parliament often riven by factionalism, she projected herself as a unifier, though her methods were combative.

“Among dismantled opposition maneuvers and unified MPs around the NRM agenda,” one legislator remarked, capturing her reputation as a formidable operator.

She was christened “Queen of War,” a sobriquet that reflected both admiration and fear.

Yet power, like fire, illuminates and consumes. The very visibility that her office afforded her became the lens through which her wealth and lifestyle were scrutinized.

Reports of her ownership of luxury assets, including a Rolls‑Royce Cullinan worth billions of shillings, ignited public outrage.

Activists petitioned the Inspector General of Government, alleging under‑declaration of assets. In a country where the majority struggle with poverty, her opulence was seen not as a symbol of success but of excess. The whispers grew louder: how could a public servant amass such fortune so quickly?

The Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), led by Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, initially embraced her as an ally. But as corruption allegations mounted, PLU withdrew its support.

Muhoozi himself declared, “Public office should not be used for self‑enrichment,” a statement widely interpreted as a rebuke of Among’s lifestyle.

The withdrawal fractured her political base, leaving her exposed. President Museveni, ever the master of timing, summoned her to State House in May 2026.

His anticorruption crusade at Kyankwanzi emphasized that leaders must prioritize citizens over personal comfort. The symbolism was unmistakable: Among was no longer in favor.

Internationally, her troubles compounded. She was banned from traveling to the UK and US due to corruption allegations.

For a leader who once strutted confidently on the global stage, these restrictions were humiliating. The fall was rapid, almost Shakespearean in its inevitability.

As one commentator noted, “She rose like Icarus, wings of ambition carrying her high, but the sun of scandal melted them.”

Historical parallels abound.

Rebecca Kadaga, her predecessor, also wielded immense power as Speaker but was gradually edged out, her fall cushioned by years of service.

Among’s decline, by contrast, was precipitous. Her trajectory mirrors that of John Patrick Amama Mbabazi, once Museveni’s loyal ally, later undone by accusations of corruption and ambition.

Globally, her story recalls Brazil’s Dilma Rousseff, whose presidency collapsed under corruption allegations despite initial popularity. In each case, the pattern is familiar: loyalty secures ascent, but wealth scandals precipitate downfall.

Among’s case also speaks to the broader dynamics of Ugandan politics. The NRM thrives on patronage, rewarding loyalty with office.

But it also demands discipline, punishing those whose excesses threaten the party’s image. Museveni’s longevity has been built on this delicate balance. Among miscalculated, mistaking her proximity to power for immunity.

In truth, she was expendable, a pawn sacrificed to preserve the king’s credibility.

Her fall is not merely personal but emblematic. It underscores the fragility of political fortunes in Uganda, where today’s hero can be tomorrow’s villain.

It highlights the tension between grassroots expectations and elite indulgence.

And it raises uncomfortable questions about the role of women in politics: celebrated when loyal, castigated when controversial.

As one feminist activist observed, “Among’s rise was hailed as a victory for women, but her fall is being used to reinforce stereotypes of female leaders as corrupt. The double standard is glaring.”

Yet even in decline, Among’s story retains resonance. It is a cautionary tale, a reminder that power without restraint is self‑defeating.

Her rise embodied resilience and mobilization, her fall illustrated the unforgiving nature of Ugandan politics.

In the words of Lord Acton, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Among’s journey is a modern echo of that timeless truth.

The rise and fall of Anita Among is thus more than biography; it is allegory. It dramatizes the perils of ambition unchecked by humility, of loyalty compromised by excess, of wealth flaunted in the face of poverty. It is a narrative that will be told in Bukedea and beyond, a story of how a woman who once embodied hope became a symbol of hubris.

And in that telling lies the enduring lesson: in politics, as in life, the higher the climb, the harder the fall.

Anita Among has since withdrawn out of the speaker race and pledged support for Jacob Oboth Oboth, who Museveni and Muhoozi have chosen to succeed her. Reports suggests that she will have a soft landing and get a big job in Museveni’s government on top of surviving prison. (See Details Here and There).