Iron sheets scandal: Witnesses to defend Nandutu

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Former Karamoja affairs state minister Agnes Nandutu, who is accused of diverting iron sheets meant for Karamoja region, is today, August 15, 2025, expected to present witnesses to the court to defend her.

The witnesses are expected to appear before the Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala to defend Nandutu in the iron sheets case.

The court is being presided over by acting Principal Judge Jane Okuo Kajuga.

On Monday, this week, Nandutu concluded giving her unsworn evidence, which was not subjected to questioning from the prosecution team.

Nandutu told the court that she was a recipient of the iron sheets and was never part of the team that orchestrated their distribution.

According to Nandutu, the senior minister told her that she had requested the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) to provide 2,000 iron sheets to each district in Bugisu region, including Bududa, her [Nandutu’s] constituency.

The senior minister Nandutu was referring to is the former Karamoja affairs minister Mary Goretti Kitutu.

“The senior minister allocated 2,000 iron sheets for Bududa district landslide victims,” Nandutu said.

She said the iron sheets were signed at the OPM stores in Namanve by her political assistant, Evelyn Hilda Bazibu. 

Testifying under the guidance of defence lawyer Evans Ochieng, Nandutu said she, along with Karamoja region ministers, Members of Parliament, and local leaders, were not involved in the planning of the Karachuna project, which aimed to exchange iron sheets and goats for guns with reformed Karimojong warriors.

She revealed that each Karachuna who surrendered their gun would be rewarded with 26 iron sheets, a billy and five nannies.

Nandutu stated that she was unaware of the project, including the source of the iron sheets and goats, and only knew of its existence through hearsay.

According to the legislator, Peter Amodoi, a programme officer at the Karamoja ministry, revealed that the region’s ministers, MPs and local leaders boycotted the project’s launch by President Yoweri Museveni in 2022 because they were excluded from the planning process.

“I was told that the leaders did not know about the Karachuna project because they were not consulted on what their people wanted, so they did not see the point in attending an event they knew nothing about,” Nandutu said.

The case

Nandutu is battling charges of dealing with suspect property, contrary to Section 21A (1) of the Anti-Corruption Act. If found guilty, Nandutu will be sentenced to seven years in prison.

Prosecution alleges that Nandutu between June and July 2022, at the OPM stores in Namanve, and in Kkola Cell, Bulwanyi parish, Mukono district, dealt with government property, namely, 2000 pre-painted iron sheets of gauge 28 marked “Office of the Prime Minister”, by receiving and holding the items, which she had reason to believe were acquired as a result of loss of public property, an offence under Section 10 (1) of the Anti-Corruption Act 2009.

On the other hand, Kitutu, who is the Manafwa district Woman Member of Parliament, faces two counts of loss of public property and conspiracy to defraud at the Anti-Corruption Court together with her brother Micheal Kitutu Naboya and personal assistant Joshua Abaho.