UK Sanctions Ugandan Speaker, Other Politicians Over Corruption Claims

Britain on Tuesday imposed sanctions on several Ugandan politicians, including the speaker of the East African country’s parliament, following claims of corruption.

London said it was the first time its new “global anti-corruption sanctions regime” had been used on individuals facing corruption claims in Uganda, and that it was part of a worldwide crackdown.

Anita Among, the speaker of the Ugandan parliament, was one of three people targeted with the UK travel bans and asset freezes.

The other two — Mary Goretti Kitutu and Agnes Nandutu — were previously ministers responsible for Uganda’s isolated and impoverished border region of Karamoja.

A statement issued by the Ugandan parliament, however, said the sanctions were based on a “false premise”.

Among had “never been charged with corruption in any courts of law, contrary to the insinuation in the statement”, it said.

It added that the claims of corruption had been used as a “ruse to conceal the real unstated but clearly obvious reason for the sanctions” which it said was her “stance on the recently enacted Anti-Homosexuality Act”.

The legislation, adopted in May 2023 and supported by Among, imposes penalties of up to life in prison for consensual same-sex relations and contains provisions that make “aggravated homosexuality” an offence punishable by death.

The statement did not say if the parliament believed Kitutu and Nandutu had been charged or not.

Kitutu and Nandutu have faced allegations of stealing roofing materials destined for the poor under a Ugandan government-funded project and redirecting them to politicians and their families.

Uganda’s government last year announced prosecutions against dozens of ministers and legislators over the illegal scheme, in what was seen as an unusually robust response to a corruption scandal involving high-profile figures.

Some 26 ministers and 31 legislators were named in connection with the case, although the exact status of the case and any charges brought remains unclear.

London noted that since April 2021, it had introduced sanctions on 42 individuals and entities under its new criteria to combat corruption around the world.

AFP