Minister Ainte Seeks Redemption, Apologizes for Past Reckless Statements
Bahati shalom
Friday, February 7, 2025
Anite gained national attention in 2015 when she publicly knelt before President Yoweri Museveni, urging him to run for another term in 2016. Her loyalty earned her key government positions, first as Minister of State for Youth and later as Minister of Investment and Privatization.
However, her political career took a downturn in 2021 when she lost her parliamentary seat in Koboko to Charles Ayume, son of the late Speaker of Parliament, Francis Ayume. Since then, she has taken time to reflect on her past actions.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Anite acknowledged that she had been reckless in her younger years. She admitted that some of her statements, like her infamous 2017 remark about "we have the magye"—which she used to support the removal of the presidential age limit—were made without fully understanding their significance.
She wrote:
"When I was below 40 years, I didn’t care whose feelings I was hurting with my words & actions. All that mattered to me was the protection of myself. That’s why I could say words like ‘we have the magye’ even when I didn’t know the meaning of the word, let alone understand its impact."
She further reflected:
"…Now I am 40, I know better to think about other people’s feelings before I talk or act. Rt. Hon. Gen. Moses Ali once told me that when you are young, you say anything & do anything. I didn’t understand him at the time because I was young. Now, I understand what he meant."
Recent reports indicate that Anite left the National Leadership Institute in Kyankwanzi abruptly and traveled to Canada under unclear circumstances. Some sources suggest that her remarks did not sit well with high-ranking officials, leading to her sudden departure.
Soon after, she removed her ministerial title and a profile picture featuring President Museveni from her X account, sparking speculation that she might be distancing herself from the ruling party.
Is she seeking redemption or considering a new path outside politics? As events unfold, many continue to question what lies ahead for Anite.
