Kololo — The Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court has sentenced former State Minister for Karamoja Affairs Agnes Nandutu to four years in prison after convicting her over the handling of government iron sheets intended for vulnerable communities in Karamoja.
The ruling follows investigations and prosecution led by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in collaboration with the Anti-Corruption Unit, State House and the Criminal Investigations Directorate.
The court also barred Nandutu from holding public office for the next 10 years.
According to the prosecution led by Chief State Attorney David Bisamunyu and Senior State Attorney Innocent Aleto, the court found that between June and July 2022, Nandutu dealt with government property comprising 2,000 pre-painted iron sheets marked “Office of the Prime Minister,” which she received and retained under circumstances where she had reason to believe the items had been irregularly obtained from public stores.
The court heard that the iron sheets were part of a wider government programme under the Office of the Prime Minister aimed at supporting disarmament and community empowerment in the Karamoja sub-region, funded by a supplementary budget of approximately UGX 39.94 billion.
Evidence presented showed that after a requisition for 10,000 iron sheets for a presidential launch exercise in Moroto District, only 1,000 were issued, leaving a balance in stores. Nandutu later received an allocation of 2,000 iron sheets, which she facilitated through her political assistant, who collected them from OPM stores in Namanve.
The prosecution further detailed that the iron sheets were first taken to a private residence in Wakiso before being moved to her home in Seeta, Mukono District. During investigations in March 2023, 1,617 iron sheets were recovered from her premises, while 383 remained unaccounted for.
“The court accordingly convicted her of dealing with suspect property contrary to section 21A(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act,” the Office of the DPP stated in its official communication.
During mitigation, Nandutu told the court, “I was misled into this offence. I am apologetic to the appointing authority, the people of Karamoja, and the entire country,” adding that she had returned and paid for the iron sheets, except those allegedly lost while in police custody. She also asked the court for leniency on account of her health and family responsibilities.
At the height of investigations, the Inspectorate of Government had indicated that at least 22 ministers, 31 Members of Parliament, and 13 Chief Administrative Officers were required to account for their roles in the broader iron sheets scandal.
In its statement, the ODPP emphasised that the conviction sends a strong message that no public official is above the law, adding that it should serve as a deterrent against the misuse of public resources.
This week, the Inspectorate of Government announced the recovery of Shs335m from public officials who had failed to refund misappropriated government funds, underscoring an intensified nationwide crackdown on corruption.
According to the Inspectorate, the recoveries followed a March 16 directive issued to 202 officials to account for and refund funds totalling Shs2.36bn by March 31 or face prosecution.
Out of those targeted, 62 officials complied. Of these, 38 cleared their outstanding balances in full, contributing UGX 214,079,355, while 24 made partial payments amounting to UGX 121,600,000. The IG further noted that 140 officials remain in default, with two having surrendered properties currently under valuation.