By Aggrey Baba
At a time when political pressure, corruption allegations, sanctions, and growing public criticism continue to surround embattled Bukedea Woman MP Anita Among, many of her critics had hoped to see her political exit end in embarrassment and uncertainty.
Instead, the outgoing Speaker is heading into one of the most lucrative retirement arrangements following her exit from speakership.
Even as anti-Among voices continue questioning her legacy and celebrating her ongoing troubles, parliamentary laws guarantee that Uganda’s ever Rolls-Royce cullinan only owner will walk away with a mouthwatering package worth billions of shillings in pensions, gratuity, vehicles, medical care, security, and other lifelong privileges funded by the very taxpayers celebrating her fall.
According to the Parliamentary Pensions (Amendment) Act, Among is entitled to a monthly pension equivalent to 60% of the salary of the sitting Speaker of Parliament. Sources familiar with parliamentary administration say the Speaker’s office earns well over UGX 30 million monthly in salary and statutory allowances, excluding several classified and commission-approved benefits.
This means the Bukedea lioness could continue earning tens of millions every month for a lifetime.
On top of that, she is entitled to a lump-sum retirement gratuity calculated as one full year’s salary for every term served in office.
The law further guarantees her two chauffeur-driven luxury vehicles.
Thise in inner circles of parliament estimate the vehicles could cost more thanUGX 600 million combined, and it will be replaced every five years at government expense.
The mother of twins will also retain state-funded protection and comfort, including four security guards, four domestic workers, free medical care for herself and her husband, and monthly utility allowances exceeding ugx 1.3 million.
The benefits combine her privileges as both former Deputy Speaker and Speaker following the death of former Omoro county MP Jacob Oulanyah in 2022.
Before becoming Speaker, Among served as Oulanyah’s deputy from May 2021 until March 2022. Sources quoted by one of Uganda’s biggest publications (Monitor) indicate she has already been benefiting from retirement privileges attached to the office of Deputy Speaker and now formally transitions into full retirement status as a former Speaker of the 11th Parliament.
For many of her critics, the development is becoming a bitter pill.
While opposition politicians and activists spent years exposing her excesses, the same state system they criticised quietly secured her future with wealth, comfort, prestige, and lifelong protection.
Ironically, several MPs had long warned Parliament against creating a dangerous culture of rewarding political elites multiple times from the same public purse.
Mathias Mpuuga recently described the law as ambiguous, arguing that it allows leaders to continue drawing retirement benefits from previous offices while still actively serving in government.
“The law is ambiguous. It needs to be amended to clarify the position; for one to take benefit from the last higher position,” Mpuuga reportedly said, while questioning situations where leaders continue receiving benefits even while still serving as ministers or MPs.
Kira Municipality former lawmaker, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda also warned that Uganda had normalized confusion in retirement benefits for top parliamentary leaders, saying leaders are currently allowed to receive benefits from several offices simultaneously.
Meanwhile, Nathan Nandala-Mafabi described the system as “the greed of retiring leaders,” accusing past Parliaments of creating a terrible mistake that continues draining public resources.
Former Busiro East MP Medard Lubega Sseggona reportedly went even further, describing the law as immoral and saying attempts to amend it had repeatedly been frustrated.
But despite all those warnings, the law remained intact.
In fact, Among herself strongly defended the expansion of parliamentary retirement benefits in 2022 when Parliament amended the law to extend pension privileges to former Speakers and Deputy Speakers dating as far back as 1980.
While handing over luxury vehicles to former parliamentary leaders in December 2023, Among argued that previous Speakers had served the country under difficult political circumstances and deserved dignity in retirement.
The amendment benefited several former leaders, including Edward Ssekandi, Rebecca Kadaga, and families of deceased former Speakers.
Now, the same law is preparing a super soft landing for Among herself.
For anti-Among campaigners, that may be the most frustrating outcome of all, because even if her image has suffered politically, the system still guarantees her a retirement filled with comfort, luxury, influence, and financial security funded by the same public whose anger dominates headlines now. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
