MPs wrap up Karamoja iron sheets inquiry

Parliament’s committee on Presidential Affairs has wrapped up its probe and is drafting a report on the mismanagement of iron sheets and other relief items meant for the restive and impoverished Karamoja Sub-region.  
Committee deputy chair Naome Kabasharira (Rushenyi country), told  Monitor yesterday that they are ready to report after weeks of hearings into how a Shs39 billion supplementary budget -- allocated to the relief and economic empowerment programme -- is feared to have been abused by officials.  

“We are in the final stages of finalising the report and hope it is placed on the Order Paper this week for debate,” Ms Kabasharira said.  
It is expected that the committee’s report will shed light on the multi-billion Karamoja iron sheets scandal which has sucked in Vice President Jessica Alupo, Speaker of Parliament Anita Among and Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja alongside 22 other ministers, 30-plus MPs and several officials. 
The committee interviewed ministers, officials and local leaders during their inquiry which was carried out against the backdrop of parallel police investigations to establish suspected criminal liability. 
Also interviewed were Karamoja Affairs minister Mary Goretti Kitutu and her junior minister, Agnes Nandutu, who are at the centre of the scandal. 
 
The committee’s inquiry looked into how ministers illegally received thousands of iron sheets, and reports that unspecified quantities of relief food may have been stolen.  
Their report will likely reveal information about the sickly goats (most of which reportedly perished soon after distribution), which are said to have been acquired at inflated prices.  
So far, two Kitutu and the state minister for finance (planning), Amos Lugoloobi have been arrested and arraigned in court over their role in the iron sheets scandal.  
Currently out on bail, Kitutu has been charged with causing loss of public property and conspiracy to defraud. She faces 10 years in jail if convicted or a fine of Shs4.8 million, or both. 

Yesterday, Lugoloobi was remanded to Luzira Prison. He was charged with dealing in suspect property and dealing with government stores while knowing that they were acquired as a result of loss of public property – all contrary to Sections 21A and 10(1), respectively of the Anti-Corruption Act. He faces seven years in prison or a Shs3.2 million fine or both.  
Writing in an April 3 letter to Nabbanja, President Museveni said those implicated must return the iron sheets or the equivalent money value, but also be handled by the police under criminal laws of the country. Mr Museveni accused his ministers of theft, subversion, undermining national security and political corruption. 

In March, the committee chairperson, Ms Jesca Ababiku, had told Daily Monitor that their terms of reference were to verify allegations that the Shs39 billion of the supplementary budget was abused, and that food (maize) meant for feeding in schools in Karamoja was irregularly diverted to other institutions. 
 Ms Ababiku said they would also verify the number of goats that were actually received and by whom. 
During meetings with some leaders from Karamoja, it was found that each beneficiary was supposed to get 16 goats. However, some people received just a few poor quality animals while others did not get anything.  
According to reports seen by the committee, about Shs25 billion was allocated for the procurement of goats to be distributed across the sub-region. 

BACKGROUND
The committee, in February, embarked on a parallel probe into the mismanagement of relief items including iron sheets, goats and food items meant for vulnerable people in the Karamoja region. 
The Parliament inquiry, which came as a directive from Speaker Anita Among, followed numerous complaints from MPs representing the sub-region, community leaders and beneficiaries – all whom observed that there were massive irregularities in distribution of the items. 
The Karamoja Community Empowerment Programme was supposed to be funded using the Shs39 billion supplementary budget which Parliament approved in December, 2021.