Nambooze dismissed the Speaker’s comments, questioning Among’s political role and presence in Mukono during the President’s visit.
Lost in Translation: Minister Mutasingwa’s Blunder Steals the Show at NRM Rally
Mukono Municipality Member of Parliament Betty Nambooze has sharply responded to remarks by the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Annet Among, who publicly praised President Yoweri Museveni for approving funds for Nambooze’s medical treatment in the United States.
Speaking at President Museveni’s campaign rally in Mukono District on Friday January 2, Speaker Among accused Nambooze, an outspoken critic of the President and the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) of opposing a leader who supported her during a difficult period.
Among claimed that Museveni approved nearly sh1bn to facilitate Nambooze’s treatment abroad.
“Your Excellency, out of your good heart, I want to thank you so much for giving me permission to give Honorable Nambooze money for treatment,” Among said.
“When Honorable Nambooze said she was sick, you allowed me to give her almost a billion shillings, and you sent her to New York for treatment with her husband and her house maid. Nobody can ever have that heart, even after Honorable Nambooze abusing you day in, day out on radio and television.”
However, Nambooze dismissed the Speaker’s comments, questioning Among’s political role and presence in Mukono during the President’s visit.
“Initially, Mukono had people who would welcome Mr. Museveni in this area. How come it had to be someone from as far as Bukedea to welcome Museveni in Mukono? Where did the Mukono people go?” Nambooze asked.
She further took aim at Among’s political history, noting that the Speaker only recently crossed from the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) to the NRM.
“You have not even spent five years in the NRM. The people of Mukono who cheered him, who hid during the war, who campaigned for him in the 1990s-where did those people go?” Nambooze added.
It is notable that Members of Parliament are entitled to a medical insurance policy that covers treatment costs, a point Nambooze’s allies say makes the Speaker’s public remarks inappropriate and politically motivated.
Speaker Among was recently declared unopposed Woman Member of Parliament for Bukedea District after all her challengers either withdrew or were eliminated from the race.
Speaker Among was recently declared unopposed Woman Member of Parliament for Bukedea District after all her challengers either withdrew or were eliminated from the race.
In recent months, Among has frequently appeared at President Museveni’s campaign rallies across the Buganda region, openly criticizing opposition politicians-many of whom have accused her of corruption.
Critics argue that her conduct has eroded the independence and dignity of Parliament, with opposition leaders accusing the Speaker of aligning the legislature too closely with the Executive. They contend that under her leadership, Parliament increasingly operates at the direction and convenience of President Museveni rather than as an independent arm of government.