I’m a full NRM member- Speaker Anita Among

The speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, on Saturday told residents of Bukedea District in eastern Uganda, who voted her to represent women in the 11th Parliament that she was still a full member of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), contrary to what she described as propaganda stating otherwise championed by “some people”.

Ms Among has of late been in the eye of the storm for allegedly misusing taxpayers’ money on ‘unnecessary expenditure’ and extravagance by the House she presides over yet she’s been telling Ugandans that the 11th Parliament is people-centered.
On Saturday, she drove to her home district, Bukedea, to verify her particulars in the NRM register, just hours after presiding over a plenary session on Friday mid-morning and adjourned the House sitting to March 28.

Accompanied by Soroti City East MP, Herbert Edmond Ariko and Derrick Orone of Gogongyo County in Pallisa District, among other politicians, the Speaker arrived at Apopong Primary School in Bukedea at around11:18am to enter her particulars in the register of the party whose leader, President Yoweri Museveni, 79, has been in power since 1986 when he shot his way to state house following a guerilla warfare.

Ms Among who assumed the office of the Speaker in 2022 following the death of the then Omoro County MP, Jacob Oulanyah whom she replaced, urged Ugandans to embrace the ongoing NRM registration exercise.

"I was in Kampala yesterday (Friday) but today I decided to drive to Bukedea to register my name. I never wanted to call anyone to register my name on my behalf. I wanted to do it myself,” Ms Among told hundreds of supporters who had gathered at Apopong Primary School to witness the event.
In a veiled jibe at her critics in the Opposition, Ms Among seized the opportunity to reiterate that she joined Parliament as independent candidate in 2011 after quitting the then largest opposition party, Forum for Democratic Change (FDC).
The party has since become a shadow of its former self following ‘irreconcilable differences’ among members and years of internal strife.

"The people of Bukedea today, I want clear the propaganda that I’m not for NRM. That’s wrong. Today, I have fully registered my name and I am a full member of NRM party, so let's all go and register our names," Ms Among whose House has been accused of spending at least Shs2.6 billion taxpayers’ money daily said to a chanting crowd of supporters.

Mr Michael Ongole, the district NRM told this publication that Bukedea has got a total of 336 villages, 152 parishes and 16 Sub-counties.
According to him, the registration exercise was moving on well as they prepare to retain power in 2026.

"I want report that Bukedea as a district is doing well in the ongoing NRM registration exercise and I want inform people that the exercise will end tomorrow my appeal let's go and register our names," said Ongole.