KAMPALA – For a better part of the month of February and March, both social and main stream media have been outing stories of the infamous iron sheet blunder threatening almost half of Museveni’s amorphous cabinet.
Some of the ministers have come out to own up what they received while others are still living in denial. At the centre of the scandal is my own sister Maria Gorretti Kitutu who is now facing allegations of mismanaging relief items as the line Minister for Karamoja affairs. Unwilling to die alone akin a sacrificial lamb, it has turned into a bonanza.
The genesis of this scandal was that the office of the Prime Minister had procured about 12,200 pieces of iron sheets gauge 28 for distribution to the people in the Karamoja sub-region under the affirmative action programme.
It is said that those iron sheets were released from the store of the office of the Prime Minister on orders of Hon. Kitutu. No one has provided us with evidence that some of the items were intended for other regions. If that was the case, Kitutu was not the right person to distribute them as she is only Minister for Karamoja.
The senior inventory officer at the Prime Minister’s office indeed confirmed to the Permanent secretary that the iron sheets were sent to the “beneficiaries” following guidance and a list provided by Kitutu’s personal assistant. When hell broke loose that some of the iron sheets had been diverted and found in Namisindwa where the line minister originates from, it became a public secret.
I have no doubts in my mind that whoever blew up the story comes from Namisindwa and did it to gain political capital but in so doing, damaged the reputation of their own. I had no idea the Bagisu would be so bad to betray their own yet other Ministers from other regions have been stealing twice or thrice as much.
A list of other illegal “beneficiaries” was released pitting a number of high ranking members of the society into the centre of the scandal. Evidence was provided on who got the iron sheets, when and who picked them, name of the driver, vehicle used and who signed for them.
In a February 17, 2023 statement, the Prime Minister noted that the iron sheets that were given to other areas of Uganda were procured by the respective Ministries for specific responses, including disasters. She added that her office is the fountain of several affirmative action ministries like Karamoja Affairs, Bunyoro Affairs, Teso Affairs, Northern Uganda Rehabilitation, Luweero-Rwenzori, Disaster Preparedness, Refugees among others.
To Nabbanja, all the Ministries under her docket procure various items, including iron sheets, for specific interventions to address gaps in livelihood and infrastructure in their respective portfolios; these items are kept in the same store. However, the Minister in charge of disaster preparedness has not come out to say any iron sheets were procured for land slide prone areas in Bugisu. What about Kadaga who took for Busoga or Oboth Oboth who took to Tororo, what interventions were eminent in their areas. Why is it that some of the items were sent through Chief Administrative officers and the men in collars?
Further, the Prime Minister has not explained why and how these iron sheets were channeled through the various Members of Parliament and not through the usual routine of using local government system headed by the respective Chief Administrative officers. It is also not clear as to what criteria was used to determine the beneficiaries. We all know that all Districts of Uganda have atleast three Members of Parliament, why were the items channeled through one member and left out others. Why is it that the majority of the members of Parliament were those in privileged positions and also representing the women?
These are all indicators that the syndicate is bigger than what had been anticipated and involved high ranking women leaders. Am tempted to think the plot had a blessing of the number one citizen. It was an organized conspiracy that has been busted and exposed and now people are working around the clock to save face. By the end of last week, the Investigators had revealed that iron sheets, marked ‘for Office of the Prime Minister were distributed selectively with the hope that the secret would remain water tight until some jealousy mugisu spilled the beans.
What had began as a whistle blower’s rumor from Namisindwa has escalated to almost half of Museveni’s top brass including the Vice President/Katakwi District Woman Mp Jessica Alupo who received 500 pieces of Iron Sheets. Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja/ Kakumiro District Woman Mp received 2000 pieces of Iron Sheets. The Speaker of parliament/ Bukedea District Woman Mp, Anita Annet Among received 500 Iron Sheets. Rebecca Kadaga-First Deputy Prime Minister/Kamuli Woman Member of Parliament got 500 pieces of iron sheets. I pity those who have returned the iron sheets, they will steal remain thieves with an apology.
Morika Kaducu-Minister of State for Education/Moyo District Women Mp got 200 iron sheets. Rukia Isanga Nakadama-Third Deputy PM/District Woman Representative Mayuge received 300 iron sheets. The Minister of State for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees/Nakapiripirit district woman Mp, Davinia Esther Anyakun got 300 Iron Sheets. The Minister of State for Bunyoro Affairs and Kibuku district Woman Mp, Jennifer Namuyangu got 300 pieces of Iron Sheets. The state minister of ethics and integrity and Karenga District Woman Mp, Rose Lilly Akello, took 800 Iron Sheets. Many of these items have not reached the recipients. One may think the iron sheets were a thank you to their agents who helped them win.
The state Minister for Karamoja/Bududa district Woman Mp, Agnes Nandutu received 2000 Iron Sheets. The Minister for Karamoja Affairs/Woman Member of Parliament for Namisindwa District, Maria Gorretti Kitutu received 1500 pieces of Iron Sheets out of which some were found in the possession of her relatives. Fearing to go down alone, it is clear the Minister decided to go full blown; all those involved were exposed with evidence. Central youth Mp, Agnes Kirabo took 200 Iron Sheets. From the above one is able to deduce that the Bonanza was intended to boost the current women Members of Parliament to bounce back in 2026.
The other included the Minister of Finance/Member of Parliament for Buyanja County, Kibaale District was allocated and received 600 pieces of Iron Sheets which he has since denied having requested for, he only found them at his place. I wonder how the Minister’s personal Assistant Emmanuel Mbabazi could sign for iron sheets on behalf of his boss before authorization. The State Minister for Finance- General Duties/Member of Parliament Rubanda County East, Henry Musasizi took 200 of Iron Sheets.
Government Chief Whip/Member of Parliament for Ajuri County-Alebtong district, Denis Hamson Obua received 300 pieces of Iron Sheets. The Minister of state for Finance, Planning and Economic Development/Ntenjeru North Mp-Kayunga district, Amos Lugolobi received 300 Iron Sheets. The Minister of State for Agriculture/MP Kigulu County North-Iganga district, Bwino Fred Kyakulaga received 300 pieces of Iron Sheets while Jacob Oboth Oboth -Minister of State for Defence/ West Budama County South got 300 iron sheets. Compare the numbers of male beneficiaries and the females; you can also compare the number of iron sheets received.
Seiko David Serumbugu, the priest of St Peter’s C.O.U, Kungu in Wakiso district received 150 Iron Sheets. The Chief Administrative Officer Nakapiripirit district received 3,880 pieces of Iron Sheets. The Chief Administrative Officer Moroto district picked 1000 Iron Sheets while the Chief Administrative officer for Nakaseke is said to have received 200 pieces as well as Ham Nahurira, the chairperson LC2, Kinoni signed as the receiver for and on behalf of Kinoni Church of Uganda witnessed by Rev. Festo Mwebaze. As you may have observed, it is only the Kampala Youth Mp who got iron sheets without being a Minister. This one is being prepared to take on NUP’s Shamim Malende in 2026 and that is why she is being supported with stolen items.
I would like the readers of this article to take cognizance of the fact that the iron sheet bonanza as many have called it was a project purely intended to keep women members of Parliament relevant in their constituencies and to bounce back in 2026. The few male members of Parliament were only beneficiaries by accident or by proxy given the closeness of their respective ministries to the deal. I want to believe the clergy were proxies and representatives of some Members of Parliament associated with the opposition who did not want to be seen.
The Directorate of Criminal Intelligence should be interested in establishing whether or not the iron sheets were used for the purpose for which they were allocated and if they were gauge 28 as alleged. There will be a need to move up to the manufacturer for details. We will also be interested in establishing why a Minister would use iron sheets meant for the poor to fence the enclosure of his farm yet his voters are sleeping in leaking houses. Others used the iron sheets to clear their 2021 promises and to pave way for 2026 while others used them to roof their houses, their hotels, apartments and others sold in their hardware shops.
I keep thinking that this iron sheet scandal would not have taken the direction it took if one or both of the Ministers for Karamoja were Karimojong. These ministers have modified the old adage that “We shall not wait for Karamoja to develop” to “We shall not allow Karamoja to develop”. Imagine within few weeks after the iron sheet Bonanza, the streets of Mbale and Kampala are flooded with Karimojong children begging, a situation that could have been averted by making their area productive and habitable.
It is said and I hope it is true that President Museveni is understandably irked and jittery at the callous and shameless looting of iron sheets meant to benefit the Karimojong. “These people are worse than corona virus! Whoever knows something about this matter must be interrogated. Whether you received, heard about it but concealed information, shared the sheets, or touched them, I want all of them to account for their actions”. No doubt this is a golden chance for Museveni to show Ugandans that he has always had the will to fight graft but lacked concrete evidence to pin the culprits.
I have come to believe many of our leaders are happy to see Karamoja lag behind yet they vote NRM 100%. Other than the ever smelling stench of corruption and abuse of office that has characterized the NRM government like the 1998 Uganda Commercial Bank sale scandal, Mismanagement of Universal Primary Education funds, the infamous 2005 DRC plunder, the 2007 CHOGM scandal, the 2008 Temangalo scandal, the 2011 Microfinance Support Centre scandal, the 2011 Ministry of Local Government bicycle scandal, the 2011 Hassan Basajjabalaba compensation scandal, and the infamous 2010 ID scandal among other corruption scandals, not much has been done to show government is determined to wipe out graft in all sectors.
These ministers must be forced to step aside without creating a lacuna in the operation of government programmes. The scandal which has since sucked in a number of ministers poses a question whether president Museveni is willing to sacrifice his loyal fishing cadres.
We hope against hope that the President is not playing mind games to send his ministers to be investigated by Police only to influence the outcome.
He could also use the Director of Public prosecutions to exonerate the thieving ministers despite being.
For your own information she too comes from Karamoja and I hope she act in their interest. He could also allow the due process to take course only to play delaying tactics through the office of the DPP until the case is dismissed by court for want of prosecution or for lack of evidence. How I wish Ugandan voters would use their brains to elect their leaders in 2026.
Wadada Rogers is a commentator on political, legal and social issues
