The Speaker of the Ugandan Parliament, Anita Among, found herself under the scrutiny of the UK government this week as she faced sanctions over allegations of corruption involving iron sheets designated for the country’s vulnerable population.
Among, along with Agnes Nanduttu and Mary Goretti Kitutu, was targeted by the UK authorities, despite having returned the iron sheets in question.
Sanctions entail restrictions on financial transactions and travel. Among is barred from sending or receiving money through any wire system operated by the UK and its partners.
Even attempts to make charitable donations under her name have hit obstacles, with financial platforms flagging her name for further verification due to its resemblance to a national watchlist entry. The system responded “”Their name closely matches a name on a national watchlist that Sendwave is obligated to screen against. To help us show that Anita Among is not the person on that list, please reply to this email or contact our Compliance Department directly at compliance@sendwave.com with a photograph of your recipient’s Govement Issued Photo ID.”
Furthermore, Among is prohibited from traveling to the UK or any allied state, including the USA and European nations.
This isn’t the first time Among has faced such restrictions; she previously had her US visa revoked in the wake of Uganda’s controversial Anti-Homosexuality Act in May 2023.
Additionally, Washington has excluded Uganda from its Africa Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA), a preferential trade agreement, further isolating the nation on the international stage.
