Former Speaker of Parliament Anita Among was absent from the opening sitting of Uganda’s 12th Parliament at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, where lawmakers elected new parliamentary leaders.
Her absence drew attention after her name was called twice during the official roll call conducted by the Clerk to Parliament before voting began.
The session, presided over by Chief Justice Flavian Zeija, ended with the election of Jacob Marksons Oboth-Oboth as Speaker of the 12th Parliament.
Chief Justice Zeija said 519 MPs participated in the vote. Uganda’s new Parliament consists of 529 legislators who were sworn in earlier this month.
Among, who also serves as the National Resistance Movement’s second national vice chairperson for women, has recently missed several major party and parliamentary events.
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She was absent from the ruling party’s Central Executive Committee meeting at State House Entebbe chaired by President Yoweri Museveni, as well as the NRM parliamentary caucus meeting that endorsed Oboth-Oboth for Speaker.
Speaking during the nomination process for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker positions, NRM Electoral Commission chairperson Tanga Odoi said Among had formally communicated her inability to attend because of illness.
“She wrote to the party chairperson, indicating that she was sick and sent her apologies,” Odoi said.
Among’s absence comes amid growing scrutiny linked to investigations into her tenure as Speaker, which prompted her withdrawal from the race to retain the office.
Although she was returned unopposed as Bukedea Woman MP in the January 2026 elections and has already taken the parliamentary oath, she has made few public appearances in recent weeks following security operations at some of her properties.
Alice Alaso, acting coordinator of the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) and a longtime associate of Among, said the former Speaker was currently staying at one of her residences in Kampala under tight security.
“I visited her at the beginning of the probes, and we had a health chat,” Alaso said.
“I returned over the weekend, but I was unable to see her because she was sleeping. I did not want to disturb her because I know she has not been sleeping well lately. I will return another day and hopefully meet her again,” she added.
A legislator from the Teso sub-region, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also described heavy security deployment at the residence.
“When you approach the home, you see police officers on guard, but once you enter the gate, there are several soldiers stationed inside,” the MP said.
The legislator claimed that security personnel had been deployed throughout the property, including near private sections of the residence.
Under Uganda’s parliamentary rules, MPs can only lose their seats after missing 15 consecutive sittings without written permission from the Speaker while Parliament is in continuous session.
The 12th Parliament officially began business after all 529 MPs took oath earlier this month, with its first sitting focused on electing parliamentary leadership.
Among became Speaker in 2022 following the death of Jacob Oulanyah after previously serving as Deputy Speaker in the 11th Parliament.
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