Former Minister Nandutu Blames Senior Colleague for Iron Sheets Predicament, Alleges Sabotage

Former State Minister for Karamoja Affairs, Agnes Nandutu, today began her defence in the Anti-Corruption Court, asserting that her senior minister, Mary Gorretti Kitutu, deliberately undermined her efforts and failed to provide guidance, leading to her current legal woes in the ongoing iron sheets scandal.

Nandutu, who appeared before Acting Principal Judge Lady Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga, is facing charges related to dealing with suspect property, specifically the diversion of iron sheets intended for vulnerable communities in Karamoja. The court had ruled in January that she had a case to answer, but her defence was delayed by five months due to her father’s illness and subsequent passing.

Taking the stand, Nandutu initially provided an extensive personal background, detailing her long career as a farmer and her role as a single mother to 20 children. However, Judge Kajuga redirected her to focus on the specific charge at hand.

Nandutu then launched into the political context of the accusations, painting a picture of deliberate obstruction by Minister Kitutu. She claimed that as a new Member of Parliament and first-time minister, she desperately needed guidance from her senior colleague, but Kitutu allegedly refused to cooperate, ignored her calls and messages, and actively thwarted her initiatives.

“The person who was fighting me could not direct me on how to handle it,” Nandutu told the court, adding that her extensive experience as a journalist had led her to seek help from other ministers. She stated that Kitutu’s actions were “a clear indication that she was not going to work with me.”

Nandutu further alleged that Kitutu instructed the technical team to halt spending funds in Karamoja and questioned her involvement in security matters in the region. She recounted an incident where, even after her swearing-in, she was posted under the Prime Minister’s office, and Kitutu, reportedly ill with Covid-19, directed her assistant that no further spending in Karamoja should occur until she left quarantine.

According to Nandutu, this obstruction severely hampered her work on vital projects, including the cultivation of crops like grapes, palm trees, and olives, which were near completion as per the handover report she received. She contended that these actions were politically motivated and aimed at sabotaging her.

The prosecution, in its earlier case presentation, presented evidence including testimony from Joshua Abaho, Minister Kitutu’s assistant, who stated he was instructed to provide iron sheets to Nandutu despite not being present at the decision-making meeting. Detective Superintendent of Police Winfred Nakatudde also testified that 1,617 iron sheets were recovered from Nandutu’s farm in Mukono, with 383 remaining unaccounted for.

Nandutu’s defence will continue on July 3rd.

Her case is part of a broader iron sheets scandal that has implicated three ministers. State Minister for Economic Planning Amos Lugoloobi’s case is set to return to court next month, while the trial of former Minister Mary Gorretti Kitutu was halted pending an appeal over allegations of torture during state custody. The Inspectorate of Government accuses Kitutu of failing to implement peacebuilding activities in Karamoja between February and June 2022, leading to a financial loss of Shs1.5 billion to the government.