State House has confirmed that President Museveni’s letter to Foreign Affairs Minister Gen Jeje Odongo on properties in the UK allegedly owned by Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, is genuine.
“I have been contacted by many of you wanting to clarify on a May 11, 2024, letter signed by H.E The President Museveni and addressed to Gen. J J Odong, Minister for Foreign Affairs on the subject of sanctions slapped by the UK government against Rt. Hon. Anitah Among and two former ministers. I wish to confirm that this letter is authentic,” said the president’s Deputy spokesperson, Farouk Kirunda on Monday night.
Museveni said he had received a letter from Dr. Patricia Achan Okiria, Deputy Inspector General of Government, of the 9th of May, 2024, “informing me that the Rt. Hon. Anita Annet Among never revealed that she had a house in the United Kingdom.”
Museveni told Odongo that, “Rt. Hon. Anita Among has told me that she does not own a house or houses in UK.”
The President instructed Odongo to officially request for information from the United Kingdom’s authorities.
“Therefore, working with the Attorney-General, write an appropriate letter to the relevant authorities in UK to demand the source of their information,” said Museveni, adding, “They cannot falsely accuse any of our people and we just let it pass.”
President Museveni had earlier in May 2, 2024 informed Odongo that he met with UK’s envoy to Uganda, Kate Airey before the British slapped sanctions on the Speaker and two former Ministers – Agnes Nandutu and Goretti Kitutu for their alleged involvement in the theft of relief items for Karamoja region.
“She (Kate) also told me about sanctioning the Rt. Hon. Anita Among. I said: “Why?” She said that Anita Among has got a house or houses in the UK and has got bank accounts from which she pays school fees for her children who are studying there,” said Museveni.
“I told her that the issue of houses would be very interesting if, especially, Anita Among did not declare them in her Leadership Code documents. If she had declared them, then the next issue would be how she got the money to build them. If these two are answered correctly and showing no mistake, the remaining issue would be political, ideological judgement,” he added.
On her part, Among told the Parliament that she was not bothered by the sanctions and that she did not even own a pussy cat in the UK.
Among went on to urge the UK to respect other countries’ values and cultures.