IGG says her office never cleared Speaker Among in London house scandal

The Inspector General of Government (IGG), Beti Kamya, has distanced her office from reports suggesting that she cleared Speaker of Parliament Anita Among of any impropriety regarding allegations of owning a house in London.

Kamya took to social media to clarify that her comments were misinterpreted by sections of the media, insisting that her office never issued a statement absolving Among of wrongdoing.

Kamya explained that during a media briefing last Monday, she was asked about the allegations linking Speaker Among to a luxurious property in London.

In her response, she stated that it is not illegal for a Ugandan to own property abroad as long as it was acquired legally and declared to the IGG.

However, she noted that investigations into the reported property, Flat 4, Silk House, 7 Waterden Road, London, E20 3AL, revealed that it was registered under Places for People’s Homes Ltd and not in Among’s name.

IGG criticises media for misrepresentation

According to Kamya, some media outlets misrepresented her remarks, leading to reports that her office had “cleared” Speaker Among of any impropriety.

She strongly criticised journalists for what she described as a distortion of facts, questioning whether professional ethics were still taught in journalism schools.

“To the fertile imagination of certain journalists, that was understood to mean that ‘the IGG clears the Speaker of any impropriety,’” Kamya stated.

She further accused some journalists of prioritising sensationalism over factual reporting, arguing that many are willing to sell a story “whether it’s factual or not, at any cost.”

Museveni’s involvement and Speaker Among’s response

The controversy surrounding Speaker Among’s alleged ownership of the London property escalated in May 2024 when the United Kingdom government imposed sanctions on her and two former ministers, citing corruption concerns.

UK authorities claimed that Among had benefited from the misappropriation of relief items meant for vulnerable communities in the Karamoja region.

Following the allegations, President Yoweri Museveni wrote to Speaker Among on May 23, 2024, seeking clarification.

In his letter, Museveni stated: “I have got information that is contrary to what you told me, that you, indeed, own a house in London... Do you own that house or are you renting it?”

He subsequently directed the Minister of Foreign Affairs to liaise with the UK government to verify the ownership details and tasked the IGG with investigating the matter.

Speaker Among strongly denied owning any property in London. She maintained that UK records did not list her as the owner of the alleged house and challenged British authorities to provide proof.

She also suggested that the allegations were politically motivated, linking them to her firm stance against homosexuality and her involvement in Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act.