In response to mounting pressure from the Parliamentary Leader of the Opposition, Rt. Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi, and the general public, the Director of Communications and Public Affairs at the Parliament of Uganda, Mr. Chris Obore, addressed demands for Rt. Hon. Speaker Annet Anita Among to respond to corruption allegations.
Obore questioned whether the organizers behind the hashtag “#UgandaParliamentExhibition” campaign had thoroughly substantiated their claims, asserting that Parliament would not entertain unsubstantiated rumors.
Chris Obore elaborated that the Speaker, Hon. Anita Among would address the allegations at her discretion, rather than succumbing to pressure from the campaign.
"I think the exhibitors are becoming uncomfortable that the Speaker is not speaking, but she does not need to address every rumor. The Speaker and Parliament have authorized me to speak on their behalf, so she will speak when she deems it appropriate," Obore stated.
Yesterday, during parliamentary proceedings, Leader of Opposition - Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi, also legislator for Nakawa West Constituency disclosed that his shadow cabinet had agreed on three actions, one of which was to request the Honorable Speaker to convene the Parliamentary Service Commission to address concerns regarding alleged corruption and wasteful spending.
Regarding allegations of unexplained speaker allowances, Chris Obore emphasized that Among would not issue a statement based on unproven documents. He reiterated that the campaign organizers had failed to provide evidence to substantiate their claims.
Furthermore, Obore refuted Ssenyonyi’s allegations that the Parliamentary Commission had declined to extend contracts of former staff in the Leader of Opposition’s office under the pretext of reaching a wage ceiling. He dismissed these claims as unfounded.
The unfolding situation reflects a growing tension between the opposition and the parliamentary leadership, with demands for accountability and transparency in light of allegations of corruption and mismanagement. As the discourse continues, stakeholders await the Speaker's response, while Parliament remains steadfast in its stance to address issues based on verifiable evidence rather than hearsay.
The online campaign that is rattling government officials and others in the land has justified corruption as highly widespread and deadly.
The campaign has been trending on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, relies on leaks of official documents and has been cast as an "exhibition" — in a sequence of postings — about controversial issues.
The latest posts, about Uganda's National Assembly, purport to reveal details about abuse of public resources, nepotism in staff recruitment and even collusion between civil servants and lawmakers on oversight committees.
They also focus on Parliament Speaker Anita Among, an influential member of the ruling party, who is criticized for allegedly collecting huge sums in allowance spending on foreign travel, including trips that did not happen.
The campaign alleges Among was paid the equivalent of $894,500 in per diems and entertainment allowances between July and January, an astonishing amount in a country struggling to implement its budget amid persistent revenue shortfalls.
