By Speaker of Parliament Anita Among has come under fire following remarks she made at the 30th coronation anniversary of King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV on Friday, when she offered to pay the monarch’s bride price once he marries.
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Representing President Yoweri Museveni as the chief guest, Among told the gathering:
“Your Majesty, you know I am a cattle keeper. Just get a partner, I will pay all the cows. I am going to pay all the cows, and today, I am going to deposit the cows.”
The comment, which drew laughter and applause from sections of the audience, has since sparked a heated cultural debate, with critics accusing her of undermining Tooro traditions.
According to custom in western Uganda, bride price—often in the form of cows—is a sacred practice, paid by the groom’s family to the bride’s family before marriage can be formalized. Cultural enthusiasts say Among’s offer was insensitive to these long-held values.
Retired General David Sejusa, former coordinator of intelligence agencies, was among those who reacted sharply, calling the statement a cultural affront.
Sejusa argued that in the ancient Kitara Empire, from which Tooro traces its heritage, cattle were regarded as belonging to the king by virtue of his divine authority. For a commoner—particularly a woman—to publicly declare the payment of dowry for the king, he said, was both sacrilegious and an open challenge to royal power.
He recalled a historical precedent under Emperor Ocaki Rwangira Rw’Iremera I, when a clan leader and 11 relatives were executed for merely suggesting that a cow once belonged to their clan rather than the king.
“While Speaker Among may have meant well, for a commoner and a woman to declare before the King that she will pay his dowry is not only sacrilegious but also an open challenge to the foundations of the King’s power and cultural authority,” Sejusa wrote on social media.
Calls for Apology
Sejusa and other commentators have urged Among to apologise to King Oyo and the people of Tooro, insisting that her remarks undermined the monarch’s status.
“She, therefore, needs to say sorry to the King of Tooro and the People of Tooro,” Sejusa said.
Meanwhile, supporters of the Speaker argue that her words were lighthearted and meant to celebrate King Oyo’s coronation milestone rather than ridicule cultural traditions. But critics maintain that issues of bride price and royal authority should not be trivialized.
