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President Yoweri Museveni has written to the Inspectorate General of Government (IGG) chief, Beti Kamya, to investigate allegations that Speaker of Parliament Anita Among has a house and bank account in UK.

Museveni, however, has faulted UK for rushing a head with the sanctions and yet the ministers accused were facing court cases. He also wonders why UK had proceeded and included Among among officials to be sanctioned and yet she has not been charged in court.

In a letter dated May 2, 2024, to foreign affairs minister Jeje Odongo, Museveni says: "I request the IGG  and the Minister of Integrity to inform me if Among declared in her forms of the leadership code owning of a house in the UK.

The issue of bank accounts, I told the High Commissioner, may not be a serious issue if she sent legitimately earned money to support the children who are legitimately studying there".

In his letter, President Museveni notes that, on April 30, 2024, he met the British High Commissioner for an urgent meeting: "The meeting was at Nakasero but I was on my way to Entebbe for other meetings. I, therefore, did not have time to discuss with anybody the issue".

President Museveni in his letter says: "The High Commissioner told me that they intended to sanction Kitutu and Agnes Nandutu for their roles on the mabaati (iron sheet) [saga].

"I would like by the copy of the letter to ask the Attorney General the legality of this action since this is purely internal matter for Uganda.  The alleged theft was discovered by our agencies and the Uganda courts are handling the case".

Museveni further wondered why the UK court was rushing the matter and why they had rushed to sanction Speaker Among.

"The accused are not yet convicted. How do other countries come into the matter. She told me about sanctioning Among. I said why?  She said Among has got a house or houses in the UK and has got bank accounts from which she pays school fees for her children who study there. I told her that the issue of houses would be very interesting if, especially Among did not declare them in her leadership documents," Museveni noted.

Museveni added: "If she declared them, then the next issue would be how she got the money to build them. If these two are answered correctly and showing no mistake, the remaining issue would be political, ideological judgement".

Why build houses abroad?

Museveni wondered, "why would a Ugandan leader build or buy houses in the UK or anywhere else abroad, when Uganda, is still an under-developed country where she would have earned the money, still needs those investments? It would definitely be a moral and ideological mistake".

Museveni said he told the High Commissioner that, "the Uganda Government would demand from the UK government more information about this. Attorney General and Ministry of Foreign Affairs to advise on how this can be done and the appropriate authority to go ahead and do it".

Background

On April 30, 2024, the UK issued sanctions against Among, Kitutu and Nandutu over allegations that they benefitted from the Karamoja iron sheets that were meant for the reformed warriors.

Among was among the several government officials who received iron sheets donations from the Office of the Prime Minister.

However, she was never sanctioned neither charged after it emerged that she donated the same iron sheets to government-aided schools in Bukedea for the construction of classes.

Among's office has claimed the sanctions targeted her because she chaired the session that passed the Anti-Homosexuality Bill that Parliament passed last year and eventually accented to by the President and became law.

Several other government officials including vice-President Jessica Alupo, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja who was directly in charge of the Ministry received the iron sheets.

Last week, Among insisted she didn't own any property in the UK.