My world almost came to an end, says Speaker over iron sheets scandal
Oboth described the issue as one of the most embarrassing episodes of his political life as it was repeatedly used against him by Opposition MPs, including Leader of Opposition in Parliament Joel Ssenyonyi.
Speaker of Parliament Jacob Marksons Oboth, told Parliament that he received 300 iron sheets from the Office of the Prime Minister, but he had not requested for them. (File photo)
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Speaker of Parliament Jacob Marksons Oboth has opened up about the political pressure he endured after being linked to the controversial Karamoja iron sheets scandal, saying the matter nearly brought his political world to an end.
The scandal has since led to the prosecution of several then ministers, especially in the Karamoja affairs docket.
Oboth, told Parliament that he received 300 iron sheets from the Office of the Prime Minister, but he had not requested for them.
Oboth described the issue as one of the most embarrassing episodes of his political life as it was repeatedly used against him by Opposition MPs, including Leader of Opposition in Parliament Joel Ssenyonyi.
“As a survivor of the iron sheets scandal, if there is anything embarrassing that has ever happened to me, it is when I was given 300 iron sheets, which I didn’t ask for. MP Ssenyonyi used it against us. My world almost came to an end,” Oboth said.
Oboth was referring to the iron sheet saga in 2024 that attracted public scrutiny over the distribution of government iron sheets intended to support vulnerable communities in the Karamoja sub-region. The iron sheets were instead diverted and, instead of reaching Karamoja, the iron sheets were traced to private individuals, including Cabinet ministers and Members of Parliament
Several individuals were implicated, including the ministers in charge of Karamoja. The then state minister of Karamoja, Agnes Nandutu, has since been sentenced as a result of the matter.
Source of political vulnerability
Speaking about the issue, Oboth said his own experience became a source of political vulnerability after he was linked to 300 iron sheets.
He cautioned MPs against specifying quantities of government supplies in their requests without adequate technical assessments.
Responding to Julius Rudi (Bukonzo County East), Oboth warned legislators against arbitrarily fixing the number of iron sheets required for a project or an emergency.
“Unless you have a Bill of Quantities, with iron sheets, don’t just fix the number of iron sheets,” he advised.
“When you talk of 500, is that what you need? Why don’t you work on the other issues and leave the number to the authorities concerned?” he asked, emphasising the importance of technical guidance in determining quantities.
“I have the experience, my dear,” he added, presenting his own encounter with the scandal as a cautionary lesson for fellow legislators.
Sports state minister Peter Ogwang also weighed in on the matter, explaining that ministries plan their expenditure according to budget circulars issued by the Ministry of Finance.
He added that ministries previously made provisions for emergencies but argued that resources available under the current arrangements were insufficient to address the needs being raised.
Ogwang appealed to the finance ministry to reinstate emergency funding, particularly where severe weather damages buildings and creates an urgent need for repairs.
He explained that when a legislator requests iron sheets, the damage may extend beyond the roofing materials themselves, with strong winds potentially having wider effects on affected buildings.
His appeal highlighted the challenge of responding to emergencies when ministries have limited resources and must operate within established budget allocations.