Speaker Among’s NUP opponent speaks out, denies kidnap allegations

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The National Unity Platform (NUP) flag bearer for the Bukedea Woman Member of Parliament (MP) seat, Florence Asio, on Sunday, October 26, 2025, refuted claims by her own party that she was kidnapped by the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, as she was heading for nomination.

This followed NUP’s accusation that Among, who is the incumbent district Woman MP, had allegedly kidnapped Asio before her nomination on October 23, 2025, allowing Among to be declared unopposed.

Asio denied the allegations, apologised for the confusion, and explained that her family only learned of her NUP affiliation on the unveiling day.

“My name is Florence Asio, the NUP flagbearer for Woman MP, Bukedea district. I am here to clear the air and the rumours going around that I was kidnapped by the Speaker, as alleged by my party. In that case, I wish to categorically make it clear to everyone that I was not kidnapped,” Asio said in a video recorded and shared online.

“My decision not to appear on the nomination grounds on that day came out of family pressure, being that I am a daughter to the Speaker. Due to family pressure, I had to pull out. My decision and my intentions to contest came on short notice, and my family was not aware of it; and it came to them as a shock on the day of my unveiling. That is when the pressure started mounting. I didn’t take it seriously, but I couldn’t hold it anymore. Thank you for listening, and I appreciate you all for your understanding,” Asio stated.

Asio’s disappearance last week sparked widespread concern within NUP, which alleged that she had been abducted to block her from challenging Speaker Among, who was later declared unopposed for the seat.

On Monday, October 20 last week, NUP unveiled Asio as its new candidate for the Bukedea Woman MP seat.

NUP president Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, while announcing Asio’s candidature, accused the Electoral Commission (EC) and courts of being used to “sideline” three other women who had expressed interest in contesting against Among.

“Anita Among, using the Electoral Commission and the courts, recently had the NUP candidate, the FDC candidate, and an independent candidate removed from the Voters’ Register in order to block them from running against her in Bukedea,” Kyagulanyi said in a statement.

In an interview with New Vision after the nomination exercise came to an end on October 23, 2025, Speaker Among said she would now focus her energies on campaigning nationally for President Yoweri Museveni in the 2026 presidential race.

“I have just received reports from my district that I am unopposed. I give gratitude to God for this and my people in Bukedea for trusting me to serve them. I will now dedicate my energies to the national campaigns for our party chairman, President Museveni,” Among said.

Together with her deputy, Thomas Tayebwa, Among remains unopposed for the 2026 general elections. She had predicted this shortly after her nomination on Wednesday in an interview with the media.

Others who have been declared unopposed include Lillian Paparu Obiale (Arua District Woman MP), Catherine Akumu Mavenjina (MP for Older Persons, Northern Uganda), and Ruth Rujoki Mushabe (Kiruhura District Woman MP).

“I am grateful I was duly nominated for Woman MP Bukedea district. I want to thank the people of Bukedea for entrusting me with the seat of Woman MP in the previous Parliament. I am now going to campaign for the President. Inshallah, I am going to be unopposed, and I am going to join the President’s campaign. Even if I am not unopposed, I will come back on the day of elections and I will be voted by 98%,” Among said.

Among said she was confident of a 99% win in the January 15, 2026, elections. 

She was nominated on October 22, 2025, at the Electoral Commission offices in Bukedea after she presented her credentials for nomination to district returning officer Joel Mugyenyi, who declared that Among had met all requirements and subsequently accepted her nomination.

Among those who accompanied her for nomination included the former Vice President and Speaker Edward Ssekandi, sports state minister Peter Ogwang, and other NRM flagbearers in the district: Isiagi Opolot (Kachumbala County) and Beecham Okwere (Bukedea County), who were also nominated to contest for their respective seats.

Among then led thousands of her supporters for a massive maiden rally at Bukedea Comprehensive Stadium.

On October 21, 2025, NUP presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi paraded Asio as Among’s competitor, accusing the EC and courts of being used to “sideline” three other women who had expressed interest in contesting against Among.

“None of those candidates were ever invited for any tribunal hearing until they were informed that the Parish Tribunal had decided to remove them from the register,” Kyagulanyi said.

On October 21, 2025, the High Court in Kampala dismissed two applications filed by Mercy Marion Alupo of NUP and Norma Susan Otai of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), who sought to block the Electoral Commission from deleting their names from the national voters’ register.

Justice Simon Peter Kinobe of the Civil Division ruled that the applicants had failed to establish sufficient grounds for the temporary injunctions they sought.

He directed both parties to focus on the main petition in which Alupo and Otai are seeking reinstatement on the register. The EC, the sole respondent in the case, was granted two days to file an affidavit in reply, after which the applicants would file their rejoinder on the same day.

On October 8, 2025, Alupo and Otai petitioned the High Court to quash the EC’s decision upholding their deletion from the Bukedea Constituency voters’ register. They also sought a permanent injunction restraining the EC from conducting any election activities for the Bukedea District Woman MP seat until their case is determined.

Alupo told court that she is ordinarily a resident of Kotolut parish, Kidongole subcounty, Bukedea County, and that her name had previously appeared on the national voters’ register.

Similarly, Otai said she is a resident of Kopeta parish, Kotir subcounty, Bukedea district, and was also a registered voter there.

The two allege that on October 1, they were summoned late at night by the EC and instructed to appear the following morning without being informed of the purpose of the meeting or provided with copies of any complaints.

They claim the EC, acting on recommendations from parish tribunals in Kotolut and Kopeta, deleted their names on the basis that they were not residents of Bukedea, an allegation they insist is false.