Ugandan lawyer, accountant and politician, Speaker of the 11th Parliament 2022-2026
Anita Annet Among (born 23 November 1973) is a Ugandan accountant, lawyer and politician who is the Speaker of the 11th Parliament of Uganda since 2022. She also concurrently serves as the elected member of parliament for the Bukedea District Women Constituency, the same position she held in the 10th Parliament (2016–2021). She was in FDC party before she joined the ruling NRM where she was voted as the Deputy Speaker of the 10th Parliament. She is named in the torture complaint against the Ugandan government that was submitted with the International Criminal Court.
She is the proprietor of Bukedea Comprehensive Academy, a co-educational boarding school founded in 2018. The academy, located in Bukedea District, also offers vocational training alongside its academic programs
Early life and education.
Among was born in Bukedea District on 23 November 1973. She attended local schools for her elementary and secondary education. She graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, from Makerere University, in 2005. In 2008, she was awarded a Master of Business Administration degree, also by Makerere University.
In 2018, Among graduated from Kampala International University, with a Bachelor of Laws degree. At that time she was in the process of attaining qualification as a Chartered Certified Accountant.
Career.
From 1998 to 2006, Among worked at Centenary Bank, one of the large commercial banks in the country. At the time she left in 2006, she had risen to the rank of branch manager. For the ten years prior to her election to Parliament, she served as a lecturer in accounting, at Makerere University Business School and Kampala International University.
Politics.
For two parliamentary election cycles in 2007, when Bukedea District was created, and in 2011, Among lost the District Woman Representative seat to Rose Akol of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) political party.
Among, a long-time member of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) political party, ran in 2016 as an independent candidate. She won and is the incumbent MP.
In 2020, she joined the National Resistance Movement (NRM) after falling out with her party FDC and won the party primaries. In the 2021 general elections, Among was one of the few legislators who was elected unopposed to join the 11th Parliament though her victory was contentious because the electoral commission blocked some of her competitors from nomination.
Among declared her bid for the Deputy Speakership of the 11th parliament of Uganda.
Among was elected as the new Speaker of the parliament of Uganda on the March 25, 2022 replacing Jacob Oulanyah, the former Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda, who died in Seattle, Washington.
In 2023, she urged members of the Ugandan National Assembly to support a new bill that would make the mere fact of identifying oneself as LGBT illegal and risk up to ten years of incarceration.
In the 10th Parliament, Among served as the Vice Chairperson of the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE).
International Sanctions.
On 30 April 2024, the UK's Foreign Office announced personal sanctions against Anita Among and two other high Ugandan officials under its Global Anti-Corruption sanctions regime for their involvement in significant corruption, making her a subject to an asset freeze and a travel ban. On 30 May, Among and several other Ugandan officials were sanctioned by the US State Department on charges of corruption.
Personal life.
Among and her husband Moses Magogo Hassim have a pair of twins. Earning her the title of Nnalongo in Uganda. She introduced him to her parents in a traditional marriage ceremony. She also is rumored to have a son with one of Forum for Democratic Change's officials in western Uganda, Patrick Baguma Atenyi.
References.
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