By Aggrey Baba
On Monday, Speaker of Parliament Jacob Marksons Oboth-Oboth could not resist taking a swipe at parliamentary committee leaders as he hosted Inspector General of Government (IGG) Lady Justice Aisha Naluzze Batala and her team, joking that the anti-corruption boss was familiarizing herself with their faces in case she had to investigate them over corruption allegations one day.
“The other reason is that we interact with the Inspectorate, so that we familiarize ourselves. She knows our faces, just in case she will be looking for us in the course of investigating us when we are accused of corruption,” Oboth-Oboth joked.
As if that was not enough, the Speaker went on to describe the parliamentary committee chairpersons as “very good clients, but also your possible suspects, just in case you anticipate, including the Speaker.”
The joke came shortly after Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Joel Ssenyonyi had put Naluzze on the spot, demanding to know why corruption suspects accused of stealing small amounts of public money were often swiftly pursued while powerful individuals who steal billions of shillings appeared to escape prosecution.
The Nakawa West MP and NUP spokesperson questioned whether the IGG was effectively working with other anti-corruption agencies, including the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, the State House Investor Protection Unit, the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and the Directorate of Ethics and Integrity, to ensure that culprits were brought to book.
He wondered why, despite the existence of all these institutions, corruption remained rampant and whether arrests of powerful officials announced by government leaders eventually resulted in prosecution or simply ended as media spectacles.
Though Ssenyonyi did not mention anyone by name, his question brought the Anita Among fiasco into focus.
In May 2026, the former Speaker became the subject of an investigation involving allegations of corruption, illicit enrichment, abuse of office and money laundering. Security agencies searched properties linked to her, and the investigation attracted national attention amid reports concerning her wealth and luxury assets.
But the probe took a dramatic turn on August 25, when Chief of Defence Forces and First Son Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba announced that President Yoweri Museveni had decided to forgive Among and that she would not be prosecuted. Among subsequently thanked Museveni for what she described as his “parental grace.”
The announcement came before any criminal charges had been formally brought against her in relation to the investigation.
The decision fuelled questions about equal treatment under the law, particularly as several senior parliamentary officials arrested in a separate corruption investigation remained facing charges before the Anti-Corruption Court.
Responding to Ssenyonyi’s concerns, lady justice Naluzze said anti-corruption agencies coordinate through an inter-agency forum (IAF) to avoid duplicating investigations. She insisted that the Inspectorate was not shielding powerful individuals.
“I can assure you, as it is now in the Inspectorate of Government, we do not have untouchables,” she said.
Naluzze also pointed to what her office had done at Parliament in recent months, reminding the leaders that the Inspectorate had already taken action against senior officials within the institution.
That reference was significant. In July 2026, several senior parliamentary officials, including Director of Communications and Public Affairs Chris Obore, were arrested and charged over alleged corruption-related offences. Parliament subsequently interdicted Obore and six other senior officials following the IGG’s directive.
Naluzze, however, cautioned that the fight against corruption must respect due process, the presumption of innocence and the right to a fair hearing. She said she did not support public shaming and arrests that disregarded established legal procedures, in response to Minister for Local Government Balaam Barugahara’s anti-corruption drive, which has seen a number public servants arrested on his order.
Oboth-Oboth, meanwhile, acknowledged that parliamentary committee chairpersons often attracted public suspicion, but said those present were committed to working with the Inspectorate to fight corruption.
“And we all know what people out there talk about committee chairpersons, even when you don’t know anything,” he remarked.
The Speaker said nearly all the committee chairpersons had attended the meeting, demonstrating their willingness to work with the IGG. He then delivered his punchline by suggesting that even the highest-ranking parliamentary leaders could one day find themselves under investigation.
The engagement was held as part of activities to commemorate International Ombudsman Day, which fell on October 8 but was deferred because of other national commitments. Lady Justice Aisha Naluzze’s team also presented the Inspectorate’s biannual performance report for January to June 2026 to Parliament. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
