Uganda Law Society (ULS) President Isaac Ssemakadde has criticised the ongoing corruption investigations involving Speaker Anita Among, questioning whether the process signals a genuine fight against graft.
Among is under investigation by the Inspector General of Government (IGG) over alleged illicit enrichment, abuse of office, and possible misuse of parliamentary resources.
The probe has reportedly been extended to include some of her close associates, with investigators reviewing asset declarations against known properties and financial activity.
Security agencies have also searched properties linked to the Speaker in areas including Kampala and Bukedea.
Reports indicate that cash, documents, and electronic devices were recovered during the operation. However, no formal charges have been announced.
The investigations come amid earlier sanctions imposed by the United Kingdom and the United States over alleged involvement in corruption linked to public resources, including the Karamoja iron sheets scandal.
In his response, Ssemakadde dismissed the ongoing actions as selective enforcement rather than a systemic crackdown.
“If this were a genuine war against corruption, Parliament would be emptier than a graveyard at midnight,” he said, arguing that corruption cuts across institutions and leadership levels.
He warned against focusing on a few high-profile cases while broader networks remain untouched.
“The untouchables would finally taste accountability. No sacred cows. No immunity,” he added, suggesting that visible enforcement actions risk being used for public relations while deeper issues persist.
Ssemakadde linked the corruption debate to the state of public services, pointing to struggling hospitals, poor infrastructure, and unemployment among young people as signs of mismanagement.
“Ugandans are not blind. They see the theft dressed up as governance,” he said.
He maintained that a credible anti-corruption effort must go beyond public statements and arrests, calling for prosecutions, asset recovery, and convictions.
“A real corruption fight does not begin with slogans. It begins with prosecutions, asset seizures, convictions, and prison gates slamming shut on the powerful—not just the powerless,” he said.