Former Speaker of Parliament Anita Among is set to walk free after President Yoweri Museveni ordered her release from house arrest, bringing a dramatic twist to a corruption investigation that has kept her largely out of public view for more than three months.
Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba announced Tuesday that Museveni had instructed him to release Among, whom he referred to as “AAA”.
“Mzee has also instructed me to release AAA from house arrest. We shall do that as well,” Muhoozi said in a post on X.
The development was later confirmed by Among’s lead lawyer, Caleb Alaka, who said the release would be permanent and was not connected to any request for medical treatment.
“Yes, she will be released,” Alaka told New Vision, adding that the legal team was grateful for the President’s intervention.
Muhoozi went further when asked whether the criminal case against the former Speaker would continue.
“No. We shall not prosecute AAA. She made mistakes but Mzee has decided to forgive her,” he said.
Among had been placed under severe security restrictions following raids on properties linked to her in Nakasero, Kigo, Ntinda and Bukedea in May.
The investigations focused on allegations including illicit wealth accumulation, money laundering, abuse of office and questions surrounding parliamentary expenditure. Security teams reportedly seized vehicles, cash, documents and electronic devices during the searches.
The case had already produced arrests and prosecutions involving several senior Parliament officials, including former Director of Communications and Public Affairs Chris Obore and Director of Human Resources Daniel Adilo.
Despite the decision to release Among, it remains unclear what will happen to assets and bank accounts that were reportedly seized or frozen during the investigations. Her lawyer declined to comment on whether those restrictions would also be lifted.
The dramatic turnaround came on the same day Muhoozi launched another major intervention, this time targeting the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID).
Muhoozi described PACEID as an “illegal organisation” and said arrests had begun among people he accused of wrongdoing within the body.
PACEID is chaired by Odrek Rwabwogo, who is related to the President by marriage. Muhoozi said he had been instructed by Museveni to pursue those he described as criminals within the organisation.
Reports later emerged that Matthew Bagonza, described as a close aide to Rwabwogo, had been arrested from his home in Entebbe.
The two developments have put Uganda's political establishment on edge, with the release of Among coming as several of the officials caught up in investigations surrounding Parliament remain in court.
For Among, however, Tuesday's announcement marks a stunning reversal after months in which her political future appeared increasingly uncertain.
She had stepped aside from the race for Speaker of the 12th Parliament as investigations intensified, with Jacob Oboth Oboth eventually taking the position.
Now, following Museveni's decision to forgive her and halt prosecution, the former Speaker is set to regain her freedom even as questions remain over the fate of the broader investigations and the officials who became entangled in them.