Agnes Nandutu: Bearing the Brunt Alone in Iron Sheets Scandal

Former State Minister for Karamoja Affairs Agnes Nandutu stands convicted for diverting 2,000 iron sheets intended for vulnerable residents in Karamoja. She admitted the act, returned the sheets, and apologized, yet faces four years in prison and a 10-year ban from public office.

The 2023 scandal initially implicated around 30 people, including cabinet ministers and NRM MPs. Names like Mary Goretti Kitutu, Amos Lugoloobi, and others surfaced, with iron sheets found at various sites, including Lugoloobi’s goat pen labeled for the Office of the Prime Minister.

Kitutu and Nandutu lost their cabinet posts and went to trial, but charges against Lugoloobi were dropped due to ‘loss of interest’ by the ODPP. Most others were cleared citing insufficient evidence, despite some publicly confessing receipt and returning the sheets.

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), a constitutional body, enjoys discretion in prosecutions without public explanation. Critics see Nandutu as a scapegoat in a nation losing over Shs10 trillion yearly to corruption, where her case pales in scale.

This echoes past instances like Geoffrey Kazinda’s OPM-related conviction. Recently, President Museveni forgave MPs Cissy Namujju, Yusuf Mutembuli, and Paul Akamba after they repented, with ODPP dropping charges.

The ODPP’s approach draws scrutiny for pursuing government critics relentlessly while easing off allies, often denying bail and extending remands beyond legal limits, as in cases of Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro and others.

In Bugisu folklore, punishing one child alone for group mischief is unjust. Nandutu evokes sympathy as a sacrificial lamb, not alone in her actions.

Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)