KAMPALA – Last week on Thursday, the Anti-Corruption court in Uganda sent to jail the minister of Karamoja affairs over a scandal involving the theft of thousands of metal roofing sheets.
Kitutu is one of the big government official beneficiaries who featured on the Inspector General of Government – IGG list according to one Peter Kugonza as retweeted by President Yoweri Museveni.
The list accordingly includes
- Jessica Alupo (Vice President)
- Anita Among (Speaker of Parliament)
- Robinah Nabbanja (Prime Minister)
- Rebecca Kadaga (First Deputy Prime Minister/Minister for East African Affairs)
- Rukia Isanga Nakadama (Second Deputy Prime Minister/Minister without Portfolio)
- Matia Kasaija (Finance Minister)
- Judith Nabakooba (Minister for Lands, Housing and Urban Development)
- Mary Kitutu Goretti (Minister for Karamoja Affairs)
- Dennis Hamson Obua (Government Chief Whip), and
- Rose Lilly Akello (Minister for Ethics and Integrity)
The stolen iron sheets were intended for vulnerable communities in the northeastern Karamoja region.
Museveni blamed his people for trying to do the cheap popularity of fund-raising thus stealing to please their voters.
“The problem with the political class is that some of them have not internalized the NRM line on social-economic transformation and they, opportunistically, try to do the cheap popularity of fund-raising, giving mabaati, giving big numbers of bursaries, etc.”
“They end up with debts and desperate efforts to look for donations, efforts that can lead into mistakes of being tempted to divert what is meant for A to B,” President tweeted.
He called it a political mistake that can also be subversive.
“That mistake, however, is totally different from converting those items to personal use. That is no longer just a mistake, but theft.”
He promised that all those involved will be handled appropriately.
“Those who diverted the mabaati but not for personal use, must pay back the equivalent value in money or return the mabaati for the Karachuna, so that, that programme goes on.”
He added, “On many occasions, I have told leaders not to try and carry their Constituents on their heads financially (kubetikka) but show the families how to use the NRM programmes (NAADS, OWC, PDM, etc.) and make their own money. Kukulembera, si kwetikka abantu.”
Appearing before the parliamentary committee investigating the corruption scandal, involving 14,500 missing iron sheets, some of the accused said that they had not asked for them.
Karamoja has for decades faced persistent droughts and flooding when it rains, leaving many in the semi-arid northeastern region dependent on aid.
Mrs Kitutu who was charged alongside her brother, Michael Naboya Kitutu will remain in custody until next Wednesday. It is alleged that instead of distributing the roofing materials to Karamoja communities, she gave them to her relatives and officials.
Her brother also pleaded not guilty to receiving 100 of the corrugated iron sheets.
