Court Assessors Urge Conviction of Ex-Minister Nandutu in Iron Sheets Scandal

Three court assessors—Rose Joanittah, Bob Nabende, and Sarah Namayanja—have advised the Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court to find former State Minister for Karamoja Affairs Agnes Nandutu guilty in the Karamoja iron sheets scandal.

Delivering their joint opinion before Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga on Wednesday, the assessors stated that the prosecution successfully demonstrated Nandutu’s possession of 2,000 pre-painted iron sheets and her knowledge of their unlawful procurement. The sheets, originally meant for vulnerable Karamoja communities, were allegedly diverted.

The panel highlighted that Nandutu’s assistant, Evelyn Bazibu, received the sheets on her behalf, and they were later recovered from her farm. An investigating officer testified that Nandutu admitted to receiving them for Bududa landslide victims, but no formal requisition from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) was shown.

Assessors noted OPM records listing Nandutu among beneficiaries named by then-minister Mary Goretti Kitutu, undermining her claim of following proper procedures. They dismissed her defense of a strained relationship with superiors, arguing it did not excuse her actions as a state minister.

Testimony from 10 prosecution witnesses outweighed the defense’s three, including Bududa victims, as no evidence of lawful acquisition emerged. Justice Kajuga will consider the non-binding opinion and deliver judgment on April 8, 2026.

The case stems from the 2022 scandal where relief items for Karamoja were diverted from government stores.

Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)