The Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), linked to Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has withdrawn its earlier endorsement of Speaker Anita Annet Among for the leadership of the 12th Parliament, triggering renewed political debate over shifting alignments ahead of the parliamentary leadership contest.
In a statement issued by PLU Secretary General David Kabanda, the organisation confirmed that its earlier position had been reversed.
The statement said the endorsement had been “withdrawn with immediate effect” and directed PLU-aligned MPs to align themselves with the final decision expected from President Yoweri Museveni on the Speaker and Deputy Speaker race.
The group further noted that legislators under its influence should “await President Museveni’s preferred candidates,” effectively dissolving its earlier backing of Among and Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa.
The move came at a time of heightened scrutiny of Among’s political profile, with debate intensifying around her influence in Parliament and her position within the ruling establishment.
The reversal has since become a focal point in discussions on how power is being recalibrated ahead of the 12th Parliament.
Political analyst David Soita Masinde says the development should not be interpreted as a political setback for the Speaker. Instead, he argues it reflects her growing centrality in Uganda’s political landscape.
“This is not a sign of weakness,” Masinde says. “It is confirmation of her political gravity.”
He adds that the intensity of attention surrounding the Speaker is itself politically significant.
“In the mechanics of power, attention is the most reliable proxy for influence,” he notes, arguing that sustained focus from political actors signals importance rather than decline.
Masinde points to the speed and formality of the PLU’s reversal as evidence of deeper political recalibration rather than routine adjustment.
He argues that the Speaker has become a central factor in transition calculations.
“Whether it is the week-long obsession with a Rolls-Royce or this emergency retraction, the signal is the same,” he says. “She occupies maximum available bandwidth in the political psyche.”
He further observes that the structure of the announcement, signed solely by David Kabanda, reflects a deliberate political design.
According to him, this allows higher-level actors to adjust positions without direct engagement in parliamentary confrontation.
“David Kabanda acting as the lone ranger signatory is a tactical move,” Masinde says. “It allows the PLU to pivot without the Chairman engaging in mid-level legislative bickering.”
He argues that this approach points to a broader reality in which Among has become difficult to reposition through informal political coordination.
“It signals that she is a variable that can no longer simply be managed,” he notes.
Masinde describes the unfolding situation as a form of political resilience shaped by repeated scrutiny and repositioning attempts.
“This is political antifragility in action,” he says. “Every attempt to publicly distance the command from her only cements her status as a central figure in the 12th Parliament.”
He adds that the level of administrative and political energy being expended reflects her significance in the transition process.
“You do not spend this much administrative effort on a politician you can easily set aside,” he notes.
For Masinde, the key issue is not the withdrawal itself but the reaction it generated within the political system.
He argues that the Speaker has become an unavoidable reference point in the ongoing transition debate.
“The real question is why the first endorsement cast such a long shadow. The Among equation has now become central to the 2026 transition calculations," he says.