Karamoja mabati scandal: Minister Lugoloobi says returned all 700 iron sheets
The minister explained that the iron sheets were later distributed to three beneficiaries in Kayunga district, including Hope Primary School in Busolo Village, Busana Town Church, and a community goat shed, all under his instructions.
Planning state minister Amos Lugoloobi. (File)
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Planning state minister Amos Lugoloobi has told the court that he refunded all the 700 iron sheets he received from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), following President Yoweri Museveni’s directive.
Appearing before court on October 13, 2025, Lugoloobi told the Anti-Corruption Court presided over by acting Principal judge Jane Okuo Kajuga, that he picked the iron sheets from the OPM stores through his political assistant, Allan Ddamulira, and personal assistant, Hawa Bawaya, but later returned them.
“I received 700 iron sheets which were signed for and picked by Ddamulira and Bawaya. Ddamulira took them to Ngolumyambe in Nansana Municipality, where I had a small house. But later I returned them following presidential directive,” Lugoloobi testified.
The minister, who is also the Ntenjeru North Member of Parliament, was defending himself in a case in which he is accused of diverting iron sheets meant for Karamoja region.
The minister is battling two counts of dealing with suspect property, contrary to Section 21A of the Anti-Corruption Act. The offence elicits a maximum sentence of seven- years imprisonment, upon conviction.
Lugoloobi being represented by lawyers John Isabirye and Tony Tumukunde while the state is being represented by Josephine Namatovu, the Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions.
The minister explained that the iron sheets were later distributed to three beneficiaries in Kayunga district, including Hope Primary School in Busolo Village, Busana Town Church, and a community goat shed, all under his instructions. The minister told court that he wrote to the OPM to account for the distribution of the iron sheets, though he could not recall the exact date when he submitted the report.
Lugoloobi added that after investigations began, he was directed to refund all the 700 iron sheets.
“Some iron sheets were recovered from the goat shed after the roof was removed, while 300 sheets meant for Busana Community Church had not yet been used. I was instructed to buy new iron sheets, which I did and delivered them back to the OPM stores in Namanve,” he said.
The minister also explained that the goat shed project was part of a community initiative under a government programme to support goat rearing, hence his decision to roof the shed using the iron sheets.
Assistant's account
Meanwhile, his political assistant, Allan Ddamulira, 48, a resident of Bweyogerere-Bbuto in Wakiso district, confirmed that he was delegated by the minister to collect the iron sheets from Namanve on February 2, 2022.
“I received a call from the minister’s personal assistant, Hawa Bawaya, informing me that Minister Lugoloobi had been allocated iron sheets from the Office of the state minister for Luwero–Rwenzori. I was tasked with arranging their removal from the OPM store in Namanve,” Ddamulira told court.
He said he later contacted the store officials, organised transport through a driver identified as Julius Mpanga, and picked up the consignment with the help of another person, Osbert Arinaitwe.
“We picked 400 iron sheets, 84 of which were delivered to a school in Busana–Bukunju Parish, while 316 were taken to Misanga to roof the goat shed,” Ddamulira said.
Allegations
Prosecution alleges that Lugoloobi between July 14, 2022 and February 28, 2023 at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) stores Namanve in Mukono district and at different places in Matugga, Wakiso district and Ntenjeru North Constituency in Kayunga district, dealt with government property, namely, 400 pre-painted iron sheets marked “Office of the Prime Minister”, having reason to believe that the said iron sheets were acquired as a result of loss of public property, an offence under Section 10 (1) of the Anti-Corruption Act.
On the second count of dealing with suspect property, it is alleged that Lugoloobi between February 1, 2023 and March 16, 2023, at OPM stores Namanve, in the same places, dealt with suspect property, namely, 300 pre-painted iron sheets marked “Office of the Prime Minister”, having reason to believe that the said iron sheets were acquired as a result of public loss of property.
The case has been adjourned to October 24, 2025, for further defence hearing.