Minister Kitutu Granted Shs10m Bail

Karamoja Affairs Minister, Mary Goretti Kitutu, has been granted bail.

She returned to the Anti-Corruption Court on Friday morning for a ruling on her bail application.

The magistrate asked her to deposit Shs10 million with the court.

Each of her five sureties has been bonded Shs200 million, not cash.

Her brother, Michael Naboya, has also been granted a cash bail of Shs3m and Shs100 million non-cash for each of his two sureties.

Through her lawyers led by Micheal Wamasebu John Musiime, and Jude Byamukama, Kitutu last week asked the court to release her on bail citing ill health, advanced age, having a fixed place of abode within the court’s jurisdiction as well as surrendering two titles for land in Wakiso district.

The minister presented her husband, Micheal George Kitutu, Uganda’s special envoy to Africa Union, Amb. Simon Mulongo, Seth Wambede, the MP for Mbale City Northern Division and Dr Joel Wadawa, a plastic surgeon at Kiruddu Hospital.

However, Chief Magistrate, Joan Aciro, denied her initial application citing the lack of financial capacity of her sureties.

Kitutu is jointly accused with her younger brother Naboya and Joshua Abaho, the senior assistant secretary in the Ministry of Karamoja Affairs in the Office of the Prime Minister, of diverting iron sheets meant for the vulnerable people in Karamoja.

They face two counts of loss of public property and one count of conspiracy to defraud.