A Ugandan lawyer, Joshua Okello, has threatened to sue the United Kingdom (UK) government over sanctions imposed on Speaker of Parliament Anita Among, as well as for failing to respect Ugandan sovereignty.
He made these remarks in an interview with journalists on May 1, 2024, after the UK sanctioned the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, and former Karamoja Affairs Ministers Goretti Kittutu and Agnes Nandutu for corruption earlier this week, on April 29, 2024.
The sanctions, which include a travel ban to the UK and an asset freeze, were imposed by the British Foreign Minister, Andrew Mitchell.
According to Okello, the Speaker has never been charged in any court of law, and the UK is using the iron sheet saga as a “camouflage” to target the Anti-Homosexuality Act, which Speaker Among strongly supports.
“Contrary to what the phrase implies, she has never been charged with corruption in any court of law. So the iron sheets have been used as regulations to cover the true, unsaid, but obvious cause for the punishments, which is the speaker’s position on the recently approved anti-homosexual statute,” Okello stated.
He further emphasised that it is important that foreign partners, including the United Kingdom, respect the sovereignty of Uganda.
This is the first time the UK has used the Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions regime on individuals involved in corruption in Uganda.
