Agnes Nandutu, the former State Minister for Karamoja, has been sentenced to four years in prison after being convicted of diverting iron sheets meant for vulnerable communities in Karamoja.
The Anti-Corruption Court found that Nandutu unlawfully took 2,000 iron sheets that had been procured by the government to support disadvantaged households in the drought-prone sub-region.
The court also barred her from holding public office for 10 years following her conviction.
The case stems from a government programme to distribute iron sheets to communities in Karamoja, which has long faced poverty, insecurity, and underdevelopment. Investigations later revealed that several senior officials, including Nandutu, had irregularly received and, in some cases, diverted the materials for personal use.
Prosecution argued that Nandutu abused her office by taking iron sheets that were not allocated to her, thereby depriving intended beneficiaries of essential support.
Key testimony from her former personal assistant, Evelyn Bazibu linked her directly to the diversion, strengthening the prosecution’s case.
Here’s the testimony of Nandutu’s personal assistant that sealed her fate
During the trial, the court heard that the iron sheets were part of a relief effort aimed at improving housing conditions for vulnerable families. Instead, the materials were redirected away from the region, raising public concern about accountability in government programmes.
Nandutu denied wrongdoing, maintaining that she received the iron sheets through official channels. However, the court ruled that the evidence presented proved beyond a reasonable doubt that she dealt with suspect property.
Her conviction marks one of the most high-profile outcomes in the ongoing crackdown on corruption linked to the Karamoja iron sheets scandal.
