Uganda’s new Parliament Speaker, Jacob Oboth-Oboth, has pledged to root out corruption in the legislature after succeeding Anita Among.

Uganda’s new Parliament speaker promised on Monday to rid the body of corruption after his once-powerful predecessor was brought down over graft allegations that have shocked the country.

Jacob Oboth-Oboth, a former defence and veterans affairs minister, was elected with a majority of votes in the Parliament, succeeding Anita Among.

Among has been confined to her home in Kampala, according to security sources, after a corruption investigation that saw her offices searched and her lavish car collection, which included a personalised Rolls-Royce, confiscated.

Among’s downfall is seen as part of the military’s increasing hold on power in the East African country.

“I pledge a corruption-free Parliament. Under my leadership, we will cultivate a culture of integrity and accountability,” Oboth-Oboth told lawmakers.

“Accountability begins with us,” he said.

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But the new speaker - reputed to be close to President Yoweri Museveni’s son, army chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who supported his nomination - has his own share of graft allegations.

Oboth-Oboth was linked to a scandal involving the theft of corrugated iron sheets intended for low-cost housing, but was later cleared.

Graft is a persistent issue in Uganda, and it is rare for senior officials to face prosecution.

The country ranks 148th out of 182 countries in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index.