Fallen ex-Speaker Anita Among ‘gravely ill’ under tight house arrest

By Watchdog Uganda Correspondent

Tuesday, June 23, 2026 | Kampala, Uganda

KAMPALA — Uganda’s former Speaker of Parliament, Anita Annet Among, is reportedly battling severe, debilitating health complications while confined under heavily armed house arrest at her upscale Nakasero residence, local political allies and family sources have revealed.

Among, 52, who made a stunning political retreat by withdrawing from the speakership race following intense executive pressure, is allegedly suffering from a suspected blood clot and acute bilateral lower-limb swelling that has left her completely immobile.

The developing medical crisis adds a volatile humanitarian layer to what is already being labeled the most high-profile anti-corruption purge in the history of President Yoweri Museveni’s administration.

A dramatic fall from grace

Once considered virtually untouchable, the Bukedea Woman MP has seen her expansive political empire systematically dismantled over the past month.

Following a directive from President Museveni, joint security forces—comprising the police, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), and State House detectives—launched coordinated weekend raids on her multiple luxury residences across Nakasero, Kigo, and Ntinda, as well as her country home in Bukedea.

The Inspectorate of Government (IGG) and the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) are currently executing an aggressive, multi-agency probe into the former Speaker over allegations of grand corruption, abuse of office, illicit enrichment, and money laundering. Security forces have already impounded several of her high-end assets, including a controversial luxury Rolls-Royce Cullinan.

Furthermore, her political isolation was finalized when the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), led by Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, abruptly withdrew its endorsement of her leadership, backing Jacob Oboth-Oboth for the speakership instead.

Medical emergency or judicial evasion?

The latest details regarding Among’s condition were broken to the public by former Kampala Central legislator Muhammad Nsereko, who claimed to have witnessed her physical decline firsthand.

“She is very sick. Her legs are heavily swollen due to a blood clot, and she cannot walk,” Nsereko stated in a widely shared broadcast. “She requires immediate, specialized treatment that may only be accessible abroad. It is a matter of basic human rights, regardless of the legal battles she faces.”

Medical experts say the symptoms described are highly consistent with Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), a condition where blood clots form in deep veins, often exacerbated by the restricted mobility of prolonged house arrest or confinement. If left untreated, DVT can lead to a fatal pulmonary embolism.

The reports have immediately polarized the country:

• The NRM Loyalists: Pro-Among factions within the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) are appealing directly to State House, warning that denying an official of her stature medical access risks fracturing the party’s internal cohesion.

• The Accountability Advocates: Conversely, anti-corruption activists and civil society groups have expressed deep skepticism. Many point out that embattled high-ranking public officials in Uganda historically develop sudden medical emergencies to secure bail or flee judicial scrutiny. Observers have also noted the irony that after heavily promoting the newly built Bukedea Teaching Hospital in her home district, her allies are immediately demanding an evacuation abroad rather than utilizing local national facilities like Mulago Referral Hospital.

Chronology of a Collapse: The Fall of Anita Among

The swift downfall of one of Uganda’s most powerful institutional leaders unfolded over a matter of weeks:

 

State tight-lipped

At the time of publication, neither the Ministry of Health, the Uganda Police Force, nor State House had issued an official statement regarding the former Speaker’s health or the specific terms of her medical movement.

While the state remains under intense public pressure to claw back allegedly misappropriated public funds and conclude its digital and physical audit of parliamentary procurement files, it now faces the delicate task of managing a high-stakes investigation without creating a humanitarian crisis on its hands.

Watchdog Uganda will continue to update this breaking story.