By James Atuzarirwe
Like other category of specified public officials in parliament and government who are entitled to holiday, even the speaker is entitled to a one-month paid holiday.
However, what is a true is that Speaker Anita Annet Among has never taken this kind of leave even when she is entitled to it.
And this is not by any mistake!
We can authoritatively report that Speaker Among has never enjoyed this holiday, thanks to the enormous work commitments, making it impractical for her to take this holiday or leave.
Shockingly though, there has been a campaign on social media to portray Among as a greedy individual to the extent that she has been paid for two months for this leave.
“No, the speaker did not get paid for two months holiday. The correct context of this false two months allegedly paid out to Speaker Anita Among is that the Speaker and her spouse, like other category of specified public officials in Parliament and Government, are entitled to holiday, which in her case is one month, to a destination of her choice” explained a source knowledgeable on the workings of the speaker.
This website has been informed that Speaker Anita Among, with the exception of a one-month maternity leave she took to deliver her babies at the Kampala Hospital, in October 2023, no other official holiday she has taken since becoming deputy speaker or speaker.
And to prove how she loves work, immediately after this one month maternity leave, Among rushed back to office and resumed work to coordinate preparations for the successfully conducted CSPOC 2024 meetings.
“The Speaker and her family has not gone for holiday yet, owing to her busy official schedule, and will be taking this one month holiday in a phased manner spread out across the calendar year, utilizing upcoming recess and end of the critical budgeting process, and other opportunities as they may arise to spare some critical time as a mother and wife to bond with her family away from official duty” a source revealed.
It must be noted that Speaker Among has been very deliberate on cutting travel abroad in Parliament, leading by example–and she is undoubtedly one of the least travelled public officials in Uganda. In effect, her action has ensured that the 11th Parliament commits adequate time and human resource to process official business efficiently and effectively.
“It is therefore no miracle that when the 11th Parliament hit the half term mark in December 2023, we had a total of 257 sittings, 75 Bills passed, 109 resolutions adopted, 14 motions passed, 27 Private Members granted leave to introduce Bills, and 126 reports processed and adopted” explained a source.
In fact, Among herself when contacted by one of the online media houses for a comment about allegations of her having been paid for two months holiday, she was quick to sweep the allegations under the carpet saying even when she legally qualifies for a holiday, the allegations of a two-months holiday payment were a pack of falsehoods.
“It is true I am legally entitled for paid holiday, but those are wild, unauthentic, malicious and exaggerated figures being spread to diminish my public standing” Among commented when asked by the online News site.
According to the source, the biggest problem with some online crusaders is that this is no longer a quest for accountability, but lies and half truths are cleverly cherry-picked to score a political point and blackmail the Speaker.
“The Rt. Hon Speaker believes in honest, truthful, well-intended engagements with all seekers of truth and accountability. Questions and enquiries should be put to her office and not allow the lies, distortions and hate advocacy to derail her from executing her constitutional mandate” the source said.
This week, social media was awash with information suggesting that the speaker and her spouse had been paid half a billion shillings to go for a two-months holiday. However, as it stands now, the speaker is actually entitled for only one month paid holiday which interestingly; she has never even taken for the time she has been deputy speaker and or speaker.
