By Peter Kahindi

A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, at around noon, the newly re-elected President of the Republic of Uganda, Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, was sworn in at the Kololo Independence Grounds and within an hour, the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) announced they would hold a press conference at their offices nearby – in Naguru.

Surprising us all, PLU announced it was withdrawing its earlier endorsement of the (now former) Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Anita Annet Among, and her Deputy, Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa. 

As one of those who read a lot into everything that comes my way, the timing of the announcement and subsequent investigations that sealed the lid of Anita Among’s job coffin fitted well into the statement by the President: “Term No Sleep”.

To start with, the dramatic flow of events itself thereafter did not allow many of us to sleep – we risked missing out on too much if we even blinked once!

More importantly, though, the approach satisfied a quiet hope many of us have held about leadership in Uganda – The SERIOUS INTENT of Leadership is followed by clear actions we will all welcome.

Some commentators after the events focused on stating that the former Speaker had been “singled out” for investigation because she had become “too powerful”. 

A few even went as far as speculating that she is being pursued because she is not from western Uganda. I will not belabour any thoughts on the latter, because it is convenient and lazy, and I myself am from the ‘wrong’ region to do so.

Comrades, let us desist from majoring in minors. 

I believe that the former Speaker should be held accountable without any brakes, as should all leaders who fall afoul of our expectations.

First of all, according to the hierarchy of power and authority under the Constitution, the Speaker of Parliament is the third most powerful office in the land. 

Third in line, from the top of Uganda!

You can only go two places higher, as far as our Constitution provides for.

As such, that office carries an immense administrative and financial power centre of influence across the whole country. 

Investigating her conduct while she occupied that office is therefore commendable even if it is “just” her. 

With so much power and authority being concentrated in that position, it is befitting for an equally high level of scrutiny to be focused on the office-bearers – now and in the future.

Secondly, we are still at a point where confidence in systems and processes needs to urgently be restored. 

From where we have been, the public needs to be assured that there nobody is untouchable in this country, including the mighty Speaker of Parliament.

This re-assurance cannot be given by investigating a lowly official in the accounts department at Parliament or other public institutions. 

Confidence is restored when the investigations commence against the main Accounting Officer of any organisation – including the August House. 

We will never forget the general online reactions to the drama of the investigations as the activities rolled out. The excitement spread out across Uganda when the infamous Rolls Royce was impounded (along with the Range Rover 2025 series). 

The glee that people professed was not malicious; it seemed to come with a national sigh of relief from millions of people who could not understand the display of wealth and affluence being radiated into their lives of struggling to make simple ends meet.

Thirdly, without pre-emptying the investigations and their ultimate consequences, the law as it currently holds in Uganda provides for various offences beyond personal enrichment. 

It is possible that she is or will be investigated for offences arising from her actions or omissions besides the self-enrichment that stood out. 

On my own, I could list at least 10 possible offences that could be explored in pursuit of cases that have nothing to do with lavish vehicles and outsized mansions – but I would rather not.

Fourth – and last but certainly not the least – even an investigation into the affairs of the third most constitutionally powerful office in the land is just that; an investigation. 

The physical items impounded may occasion some inconvenience on the suspect’s part, but our system is still such that she will have her day in court. 

As publicly reported, all the searches and activities were consented to and her legal team was mostly present during the exercises. As far as I am aware, no conviction has been handed down so far, so she is innocent even before we think of charges.

Therefore, instead of focusing on who was left “untouched” and the politics of the situation she is facing, join me in applauding this unprecedented step in the right direction of the law. 

We have an opportunity to hold a Speaker of Parliament accountable as a holder of a key public office. 

We have an opportunity to restore order and decorum in the high places, so that future leaders hold their offices up with the respect deserved. 

We have an opportunity to remind all leaders of their duty of care to the tax-payers, the people and the nation at large.

We have an opportunity to show future generations that the right expectations will be met if we all do the right things and hold our leaders accountable to those expectations.

And now that we are taking that opportunity we should not go to sleep again. We should meet the Statement of Intent that His Excellency the President has laid down: This is “Term No Sleep”!