Tayebwa Endorsement Raises Questions Amid Corruption Claims

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1256 EAT on Monday 25 May 2026

Public scrutiny has intensified around Thomas Tayebwa following his endorsement by the ruling National Resistance Movement to continue serving as deputy speaker in the 12th Parliament.
Tayebwa, who deputised outgoing Speaker Anita Annet Among during the 11th Parliament, received the endorsement on Sunday evening at a meeting of the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) held in Entebbe.

The CEC also fronted Jacob Marksons Oboth-Oboth as the NRM’s candidate for Speaker of the 12th Parliament after Among reportedly fell out of favour amid allegations of corruption and illicit accumulation of wealth. The resolutions were later unanimously endorsed by NRM legislators.

With the NRM holding a dominant majority in Parliament, the endorsements place Oboth-Oboth, the West Budama South MP and former Defence minister, and Tayebwa, the Ruhinda North legislator and outgoing deputy speaker, in a commanding position ahead of Monday’s election of parliamentary presiding officers.

However, Thomas Tayebwa’s endorsement has attracted the strongest criticism, largely due to his close association with outgoing Speaker Anita Annet Among and allegations by critics that he was complicit in the alleged misuse of public resources at Parliament.

Reports indicate that at least 18 MPs who had initially expressed interest in contesting for the positions of Speaker and deputy speaker stepped down ahead of the caucus vote, effectively paving the way for a consensus endorsement by the ruling National Resistance Movement.

Critics contend that Tayebwa, having served as deputy speaker throughout the tenure of the 11th Parliament under Among’s leadership, cannot be entirely separated from the allegations of financial mismanagement and abuse of public funds that overshadowed the outgoing parliamentary administration.

While the endorsement of Jacob Marksons Oboth-Oboth has largely been welcomed within NRM circles, Tayebwa’s nomination for another term as deputy speaker has sparked intense debate across social media platforms and political circles.

Some commentators, however, argue that the NRM’s choices reflect a calculated attempt to maintain institutional continuity while simultaneously distancing Parliament from the controversies that defined the outgoing leadership.

Anita Annet Among’s political troubles intensified in recent days amid mounting scrutiny and investigations into allegations of illicit wealth accumulation, developments that ultimately culminated in her withdrawal from the speakership race. The unfolding events have prompted several commentators to question why Thomas Tayebwa appears to have emerged politically unscathed despite having worked closely with Among for nearly four years.

Among those weighing in on the debate is Ronald Amanyire, the interdicted principal road safety officer at the Ministry of Works and Transport, who argued that the differing treatment of the two leaders has fuelled perceptions of selective accountability within the ruling establishment.

“It is difficult for any independent observer to ignore the regional undertones in the NRM’s decision,” Amanyire wrote on X.

He further argued that the offices of speaker and deputy speaker function as a constitutional team, questioning the rationale of portraying one office holder as detached from practices that allegedly characterised parliamentary leadership during their joint tenure.

Ronald Amanyire further argued that if lifestyle audits are not regarded as a central anti-corruption tool, as previously suggested by Yoweri Museveni, then the heightened scrutiny directed at Anita Annet Among while other public officials remain untouched risks creating perceptions of unequal enforcement.

“The pattern of selective scrutiny is unmistakable,” Amanyire wrote, adding that such developments could reinforce public perceptions that anti-corruption efforts are shaped more by political and regional considerations than by the consistent application of accountability principles.

The controversy surrounding Thomas Tayebwa has also drawn reactions from prominent public figures, including former Makerere University vice chancellor Venansius Baryamureeba, who has been actively commenting on the unfolding parliamentary leadership contest on X.

Baryamureeba alleged that Tayebwa is equally implicated in corruption claims surrounding the outgoing parliamentary leadership, arguing that he has built an extensive patronage network by strategically placing allies and loyalists in key government agencies, including the Uganda Communications Commission and the National Information Technology Authority-Uganda.

“From his days at Makerere University to his current role in Parliament, Hon. Tayebwa has mastered what can best be described as network corruption. He carefully covers his tracks, and his influence extends across several government MDAs. In my view, Hon. Tayebwa is far more corrupt than Hon. Anita Among,” said Venansius Baryamureeba.

For weeks, properties linked to Anita Annet Among, including luxury vehicles and residences in Nakasero, Kigo, Ntinda and Bukedea, have reportedly come under scrutiny by investigators probing allegations of illicit wealth accumulation. Baryamureeba argued that Thomas Tayebwa should be subjected to similar scrutiny.

Journalist and activist Agather Atuhaire of the Agora Centre for Research also accused Tayebwa of being part of the parliamentary leadership behind what she described as a “parliamentary heist.” For years, Agora has been among the organisations documenting and publicising alleged abuse of public funds within Parliament.

“Everything Among allegedly benefited from, Tayebwa also benefited from,” Atuhaire wrote on X, citing increased per diem allowances, housing facilitation funds, official residence generators, taxpayer-funded vacations and expanded office budgets as examples she claims were jointly enjoyed by the parliamentary leadership.

She further alleged that districts such as Mitooma repeatedly benefited from parliamentary budget reallocations during successive financial years, claims she said Agora had consistently documented in its reports and public commentary.

-Observer

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