Former Leader of Opposition and ex-Kasese District Woman MP Winnie Kiiza has appealed to newly elected female Members of Parliament not to retreat from the struggle for political power despite the growing controversy surrounding outgoing Speaker Anita Annet Among.
In a strongly worded statement directed at women leaders, Kiiza acknowledged that the ongoing investigations into corruption and illicit enrichment allegations against Among had created anxiety within the women’s movement and cast doubt on female leadership in Uganda’s politics.
“Dear women, especially the newly elected Members of Parliament, these are undeniably challenging times for the women’s movement in Uganda,” Kiiza said.
She added that she was aware “that the ongoing investigations into allegations of corruption and illicit enrichment against one of our most prominent female leaders, the outgoing Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Anita Annet Among, have cast a long shadow over the gains women have made in political leadership.”
According to Kiiza, the controversy surrounding Among has “placed the entire community of women leaders under the microscope,” creating “doubt, hesitation, and even fear to speak up or negotiate for power.”
However, the former opposition leader argued that such moments demand courage instead of retreat.
“Yet it is precisely in these difficult seasons that principled, courageous leadership is most urgently required,” she said.
Kiiza urged female legislators not to surrender the political space women have fought for over the years, warning that failure to defend it now could reverse decades of progress toward gender inclusion in governance.
“I appeal to you, with deep respect and conviction, not to shy away from vigorously fighting and negotiating for our rightful space in the Parliament of Uganda,” she said.
She insisted that the alleged failings of one leader should never be used to judge all women in public office.
“We should not allow the shortcomings of one individual, however senior, to become a collective indictment or a pretext for diminishing women’s representation in the very institution where critical national decisions are made,” Kiiza stated.
She emphasized that women’s participation in leadership remains vital to national governance.
“Our presence, voices, and perspectives are essential to balanced, inclusive, and equitable governance of Parliament,” she said, before warning: “If we do not firmly claim and defend this space now, history shows that it may never be available again.”
Kiiza also addressed the wider debate around corruption and accountability in public office, arguing that corruption should be handled on an individual basis rather than through blanket judgments against women leaders.
“Corruption remains a systemic challenge that must be addressed through individual accountability, never through collective punishment of an entire category of humanity,” she said.
She noted that Uganda has never responded to scandals involving male politicians by advocating for women-only leadership structures.
“At no point in our nation’s history have we responded to the failings of male leaders by proposing an entirely women-led organ of government,” Kiiza argued.
“It would therefore be inconsistent and unjust to allow the alleged transgressions of a single woman to justify an all-male parliamentary leadership,” she added.
Kiiza warned that sidelining women from top parliamentary positions would undermine Uganda’s long-standing efforts toward gender inclusivity.
“Such a move risks undermining the hard-won strides toward gender inclusivity that Uganda has proudly championed over the years,” she said.
In her statement, Kiiza also directly appealed to the ruling National Resistance Movement and President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to resist any attempt to create an all-male leadership structure in Parliament.
“I respectfully and earnestly appeal to the NRM, and particularly to its Chairman, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, to reconsider any inclination toward an all-male parliamentary leadership,” she said.
She concluded the statement with a prayer for wisdom among leaders involved in the ongoing political negotiations.
“I pray that wisdom and courage will guide all stakeholders in these sensitive deliberations,” Kiiza said.
It should be remembered that Museveni and Muhoozi have endorsed Jacob Oboth Oboth and Thomas Tayebwa for speaker and deputy speaker jobs, as reported Here and There.
Meanwhile, Ofwono Opondo has shared an update on Anita Among’s condition after visiting her. (See Details Here).
