On April 8, 2026, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) said it secured a conviction against Nandutu Agness, Woman Member of Parliament for Bududa district and former Minister of State for Karamoja Affairs, for the offence of dealing with suspect property.
The Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court of Uganda, presided over by Lady Justice Jane Okuo, convicted Nandutu Agness.
The prosecution had alleged, and the court found, that between June and July 2022, the Hon. Nandutu Agness dealt with government property consisting of 2,000 pre-painted iron sheets of gauge 28 marked “Office of the Prime Minister”.
She received and retained the said iron sheets at the Office of the Prime Minister stores in Namanve and later at her residence in Mukono District, in circumstances where she had reason to believe that the property had been irregularly obtained as a result of loss of public property.
At that time, Nandutu Agnes served as the Woman Member of Parliament for Bududa District and as Minister of State for Karamoja Affairs under the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM). The Ministry for Karamoja Affairs was implementing a government programme funded under a supplementary budget of approximately 39.94 billion shillings for the 2021/2022 financial year.
The programme was intended to support disarmament and community empowerment in the Karamoja sub-region by distributing relief items, including iron sheets, to vulnerable groups.
In execution of this programme, the OPM procured a total of 95,044 pre-painted iron sheets. These iron sheets were delivered to and stored at the OPM stores in Namanve for official distribution.
In June 2022, a requisition for 10,000 iron sheets was made to facilitate the presidential launch of the distribution exercise in Moroto District. Although the requisition was approved, only 1,000 iron sheets were issued, leaving a balance of 9,000 iron sheets in the stores.
The launch event took place on 13 June 2022 and was attended by Nandutu.
The evidence at trial showed that shortly thereafter, the Minister for Karamoja Affairs informed Hon. Nandutu that 2,000 iron sheets had been allocated to her from the remaining stock, purportedly for landslide victims.
Nandutu accepted this allocation and facilitated the collection of the iron sheets. On 23 June 2022, she provided funds for transportation and instructed her political assistant to collect the iron sheets from the OPM stores. The assistant collected the 2,000 iron sheets.
The iron sheets were first transported to a private residence in Wakiso District, where Nandutu personally verified their quantity. They were subsequently transferred, on her instructions, to her residence in Seeta, Mukono District, where they were received and stored under her authority.
During investigations in March 2023, Nandutu recorded a statement with the police confirming these events and led investigators to her farm.
A search conducted by the Evidence Response Team recovered 1,617 iron sheets from the premises. The accused failed to account for the remaining 383 iron sheets.
On the basis of this evidence, the court found that Hon. Nandutu knowingly received and retained government property that was not lawfully allocated to her and which she had reason to believe had been irregularly diverted from a public programme intended for vulnerable beneficiaries.
The court accordingly convicted her of dealing with suspect property contrary to section 21A(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act.
The prosecution was conducted by David Bisamunyu, Chief State Attorney, and Ms. Innocent Aleto, Senior State Attorney, both of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
“This conviction sends a strong and necessary message that no individual regardless of status or public office is above the law. It should serve as a deterrent to others and reinforce the principle that illicit dealings will be met with firm legal consequences,” Jacquelyn Okui, Public Relations Officer at the Office of the DPP, said.
Okui added that the court cancelled Nandutu’s bail with her sentencing proceedings to be held on April 10, 2026.
