The heated political drama surrounding the alleged “kidnapping” of National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate Asio Florence has taken an unexpected turn — after Asio herself came out publicly to say she was never abducted.
Just a few days ago, Uganda’s biggest opposition party, led by Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, accused Speaker of Parliament Anita Annet Among of masterminding the disappearance of her rival, Asio Florence, who was expected to be nominated as Bukedea Woman Member of Parliament.
Bobi Wine’s post on October 23 sparked widespread attention online and set social media ablaze.
“The whereabouts of our candidate for Bukedea Woman MP, Asio Florence, are unknown… Unknown armed persons went to her home, picked up her mother and siblings, and intimidated them to force her out of the race. Shamelessly, Anita Among is chest-thumping that she is unopposed!”
Soon after, the NUP communications team followed up with more claims, sharing an emotional audio recording of a woman, said to be Asio, crying and saying she was “still undergoing trauma.” The party insisted that she had been “disappeared by agents of the incumbent Speaker.”
For several days, the story spread fast and dominated conversation across political circles and social media. But now, the version that many believed has completely changed.
On Sunday evening, October 26, Asio Florence appeared in a calm and composed video message that left many Ugandans shocked. Speaking with confidence, she dismissed reports that she had been kidnapped and revealed the real reason she withdrew from the race.
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Asio Florence, the NUP flag bearer for Bukedea District Woman MP,” she began. “I wish to categorically make it clear that I was not kidnapped. My decision not to appear for nomination came out of family pressure — being that I am the daughter of the Right Honourable Speaker Anita Annet Among.”
Yes — that revelation stunned the country. The woman NUP had accused Speaker Among of abducting is actually her biological daughter.
Asio went on to explain that her decision to join politics under the NUP ticket had caught her family off guard and created tension at home.
“My intentions to contest came in on short notice, and my family was not aware. It came as a shock on the day of my unveiling. That’s when the pressure started mounting. I didn’t take it seriously at first, but I couldn’t hold it anymore.”
Her calm but emotional statement has completely changed the story. What was being described as a “state-backed abduction” now appears to have been a family disagreement between one of Uganda’s most influential political leaders and her daughter, who chose to join the opposition.
The revelation has left NUP in a difficult position. By Sunday night, neither Bobi Wine nor the party’s spokesperson had made any public response to Asio’s clarification.
Meanwhile, social media is flooded with mixed reactions. Some Ugandans have accused NUP of rushing to conclusions without confirming the facts, while others have expressed sympathy for Asio, saying she is caught in a painful conflict between family and political belief.
Speaker Anita Among, who was at the center of the accusations, has so far remained silent. However, sources close to her say her team is quietly celebrating what they call “vindication by truth.”
What began as a dramatic political mystery has turned into a deeply personal family matter — one that has exposed the complicated intersection between politics and family in Uganda.
And even as the dust begins to settle, one thing is certain: in Bukedea and beyond, the Asio-Among story will continue to be talked about for a long time.
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