______________

The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Norbert Mao says sanctions that were recently issued against Ugandan politicians should not be taken lightly, noting that they have far-reaching consequences.

"It is an issue that should not be oversimplified,” he said, adding that it is a vote of no confidence "including against our judiciary.”

He said the fact the cases of those implicated are in court, but the UK has not waited for the cases to be disposed of shows that the country has no confidence in the judicial system of Uganda.

"It is not right to be dismissive,” he added.

He was speaking on a panel hosted on X Spaces on Thursday. The show was moderated by Robert Kabushenga.

According to Mao, although there are hundreds of personalities on the list, including those from Russia, Uganda has the highest-ranked official on the list—Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among.

"For personalities in Russia sanctions are a badge of honour against imperialism but for a country like Uganda, we are in a terrible situation," he said.

He said Uganda should have handled the mabaati issue better by holding those implicated "without kid gloves".

“This is a wake-up call case for us. If your neighbour comes to solve problems in your compound, you should think twice,” he said.

UK sanctioned Among, and two former ministers targeting corruption in the country for the first time with its sanctions regime.

Speaker of Parliament Anita Among. (File photo)

Among plus Mary Kitutu and Agnes Nandutu, former ministers for the Karamoja region, will be subject to travel bans and asset freezes under the UK's Global Anti-Corruption sanctions regime.

Agnes Nandutu, former Karamoja affairs state minister. (File photo)

The UK said Kitutu and Nandutu have a case to answer over thousands of iron sheets stolen from a project aimed at helping vulnerable communities in Karamoja. It said the politicians had benefited from the proceeds of the theft.

Former Karamoja Affairs Minister Goretti Kitutu. (File photo)

Both Kitutu and Nandutu have been charged with corruption in Uganda and their cases remain in the courts.

Parliament spokesperson Chris Obore, in a statement released on Wednesday, said the sanctions against the speaker were linked to British anger over an anti-homosexuality law passed in Uganda.

Parliament spokesperson Chris Obore. (File photo)

"Uganda has regulatory, investigatory, and disciplinary institutions that deal with corruption and none of them has found the Speaker culpable, therefore; the corruption allegations are, as political and vendetta-driven, as they come," Obore said.

The UK has sanctioned 42 individuals and entities under its anti-corruption regime since it was set up in 2021, including Russia, South Sudan, and Venezuela.