In yet another case of witch-hunt or rather a show of foreign meddling, the United Kingdom (UK) announced on Tuesday that they have imposed sanctions on Uganda’s Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, on allegations of corruption.
UK’s Deputy Foreign Secretary, Andrew Mitchell, said the sanctions based on the theft and diversion of iron sheets meant for Karamoja sub region also extend to former Karamoja ministers Mary Goretti Kitutu and Agnes Nandutu.
The trio was among the over 20 top government officials accused of stealing and diverting thousands of iron sheets meant to support livelihoods for the demobilized Karachunas (youths) in Karamoja that were engaged in cattle rustling.
Government agencies Police Directorate of Criminal Investigations (CID), Inspectorate General of Government and Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), have since handled the matter.
It emerged that some of the people who received the ironsheets did not actually solicit for them, something that prompted DPP to close 17 case files, including that of Speaker Among due to lack of concrete evidence.
On the other side, Ministers Nandutu, Kitutu, and Amos Lugoloobi are still in court facing charges of corruption.
On her part, the Speaker Among, in one of the parliamentary sessions, said she had received only 300 pieces in her District of Bukedea despite not requesting them. Among, would then buy and return 500 pieces.
“I have taken a personal decision as a leader that since the iron sheets were not meant for my District and had already been given out, I have decided to buy 500 iron sheets and take them back. I have sent my personal assistant to take the iron sheets to the Office of the Prime Minister,” the Speaker said.
She explained that returning 500 pieces of iron sheets over and above the 300 pieces that were irregularly advanced to her, was aimed at salvaging the image of Parliament which is charged with an oversight mandate on other arms of the government.
“I must thank the person who thought about Bukedea, but because I don’t want people to say that I grabbed iron sheets, I have taken them back. I don’t want to be a shame to Parliament, and I am doing this for the image of this House,” said Among.
It is now not clear how the UK government reached on to the conclusion that Among and other officials stole ironsheets on a matter that is before courts of law? Isn’t it also interfering with and undermining internal mechanisms of handling issues since the DPP had pronounced herself on the same?
It remains unclear why the UK government insists that Among stole ironsheets yet she actually instructed investigations into the same as well as buying and returning more? Why should the UK government reach conclusion on matters before courts of law in Uganda if not for meddling and undermining internal mechanisms of a sovereign country?
Analysts familiar with the strategic operations of Western countries towards advancing a particular narrative to score specific goals say the sanctions are nothing other than witch-hunt of the person of Among for her role in enacting the anti-homosexuality law.
The warn that the worst is yet to come from westerner nations for Among, parliament of Uganda and government itself if the country insists on not repealing the what they describe as a discriminative law.
The Act criminalises the promotion of homosexuality in the country but homosexuals and their funders have since its enactment been ‘fuming’ issuing sanctions, blocking aid and ‘promising to work’ on those behind the law.
Uganda continues to be pressured by the Western nations and their tools like World Bank, IMF and the U.N to repeal it, or face their wrath.
The United States (U.S.) reacted first by denying Among and several key legislators behind the legislation, entry into the U.S.
Funding Campaigns to Tarnish Uganda, its Institutions and Officials
It should be recalled that the country recently witnessed a well-funded campaign by exiguous X (formerly Twitter) users sponsored by homosexuals and their funders, propagating unverified and alarming claims of financial impropriety at Parliament.
The campaign targeted the Speaker also with an intention of portraying her as corrupt.
“Of course Among had to be the target by homosexuals and she should expect more of these sanctions. She hit them harder. All they are doing to to attempt to revenge,” says a commentator who preferred anonymity.
U.S. President Joe Biden, in a letter to Congress, accused Uganda of enacting a law (AHA) that ‘violates’ human rights. He also issued threats of sanctions and withdrawal of aid by the U.S. from Uganda.
Biden further directed President Yoweri Museveni to immediately repeal the law on grounds that the legislation is a “tragic violation of universal human rights”.
As part of the pressure, World Bank also halted new loans to Uganda. The United States-based development financier said the law was against its institutional values and that it would pause future financing, pending a review of measures to protect sexual and gender minorities from discrimination and exclusion in its projects.
But, despite all the pressure, Uganda has never indicated any intentions of repealing the law since doing it would mean that government has abandoned its primary role of protecting values and moral-ethical norms of the country, and instead, allow-in interference and disastrous imperial tendencies by the West.
In fact, the country is more brave than before in telling off the West that their aid is not needed as long it is a precondition for Uganda to compromise its stance on homosexuality.
In a statement in August last year, President Museveni said that foreign actors ought no right to impose what he called deviance on sovereign African states.
“It is therefore unfortunate that the World Bank and other actors dare to want to coerce us into abandoning our faith, culture, principles, and sovereignty, using money. They really underestimate all Africans,” said the President, adding that Uganda will still develop even if there are no loans extended to it.
Now, according to analysts that unremorseful stand on the enacted legislation on homosexuality by the Speaker of Parliament, and the President projects no hope of repealing it as expected by the foreign actors in imposing the pressure on the country and its leaders.
As such, they say that the foreign actors have now resorted to blackmail and propaganda against the Parliament and its leadership – warning that such disinformation will be extended to other institutions of government in the near future.
Daudi Kabanda, a Ugandan lawmaker, says Western actors will sponsor their collaborators to undermine and blackmail institutions and government and in the end reward them.
“Did you see how the the U.S recently thanked Agather, one of the architects of this disinformation campaign, with the so called International Woman of Courage Award? We know who funds all these attacks on Parliament and the Speaker.m,” Kabanda said.
“I want to assure you that our parliament took a decision on Homosexuality and we cannot reverse it. Even if you say the Speaker has stolen the entire Bank of Uganda,” he added.
Huud Hussein, a lawyer and President Museveni’s representative in Masaka City, describes those behind the campaign as hypocrites who are up to implement neo-colonial aspirations towards Uganda and destroy bases of a strong and healthy society.
“The campaign is not about Parliament. It’s about the agenda of Schemers in the West to disorganize our politics, pushing a selfish agenda. By passing the Anti-homosexuality law, Parliament frustrated today’s cultural war enveloped in the LGBTQI+ agenda. The Speaker has demonstrated conservativeness and a complete devotion to Uganda, thus becoming a target for LGBTQ campaigners,” Hussein added.
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Further Foreign Interference and Witch-hunt as UK Sanctions Speaker Among
