Why Among seeks to return 500 iron sheets

The Speaker of Parliament, Ms Anita Among, yesterday told Parliament that she had purchased 500 iron sheets to replace pieces she received from a consignment meant for Karamoja Sub-region.

Ms Among is among top officials, including senior ministers, named as combined recipients of more than 5,000 iron sheets procured under emergency financing by the government for vulnerable Karimojong.

The Bukedea District Woman Member of Parliament (MP) said she did not want to disgrace the institution she leads and “I am doing this for the House … I do not want to be like I grabbed [the iron sheets]”.

In a repeat of her February 28 acknowledgement, Ms Among yesterday said she evaluated circumstances of the sharing of the roofing materials and took “personal responsibility” to replace what she got.

“In my district, I got a call; that, eh, iron sheets are being brought. And when they were taken, I said give it to the schools. Little did I know that the iron sheets were meant for another region,” the Speaker said in accounts offered to lawmakers she leads.

She added: “But after some analysis and looking at [it that] … the iron sheets were meant for Karamoja, not for Bukedea, I have taken [a] personal decision as a leader that since it was not allocated to my district, but also the iron sheets were given already out [to my constituents], I have decided to buy 500 iron sheets and give itback through my personal assistant to take back … to Office of the Prime Minister (OPM).”

The State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU) unearthed anomalies in distribution of the iron sheets last month, with named beneficiaries including Uganda’s notables from the vice president to prime minister, two of her deputies and other Cabinet and junior ministers.

The revelations placed the Ministry of Karamoja Affairs and line ministers – Ms Goretti Kitutu and Agnes Nanduttu – that directly manage relief for the sub-region mired in cattle rustling and gun violence, on the spot.

Ms Nanduttu, a journalist-turned-politician, told this newspaper when the scandal began unfolding that she did not take any iron sheets. She has since gone silent as investigators dig up more evidence.

Her senior, Ms Kitutu, whose family members were arrested (and but freed) for allegedly selling pieces of the branded government iron sheets, has since apologised in writing to Ugandans and President Museveni, her appointing authority, for judgment error she attributed to “lack of proper guidance”

A multi-agency team of detectives has on the urging of the President doubled down on criminal investigations against officials who received the iron sheets, with the Inspectorate of Government confirming tothis newspaper on Tuesday that those found culpable face prosecution.

Mr Museveni is scheduled to address Parliament today where, sources in the know, said he is likely to make his first public comments about the iron sheet scandal despite less-than-satisfactory implementation of the Parish Development Model (PDM) and state of the economy being his key talking points.

Cheers

At yesterday’s sitting, MPs erupted into loud cheers and some banged the seats as Speaker Among, who heads Parliament, announced her decision to make up for Karamoja-bound iron sheets that found home in her constituency.

“I have taken [a] personal decision as a leader that since [the iron sheets were] not allocated to my district, but also the iron sheets were given already out, I have decided to buy 500 iron sheets and give it back … to OPM,” Ms Among said to thunderous applause.

Officials of OPM where the Karamoja Affairs ministry is domiciled, were unable by press time to confirmed receipt of the replacement iron sheets from the Speaker.

Her public proclamation came a day after the deputy Ombudsman, Dr Patricia Achan Okiria, said in reference to expected findings of ongoinginquiries, that “we shall prosecute those who are in breach of laws and policies. We are going to prosecute them.”

She said that citizens had been accusing the inspectorate of targeting mukene (silverfish), a moniker for lower-cadre public servants, but “now the big fish have presented themselves”.

“We are not going to be shy because when we took oath [of office], we pledged to support this country and do our things without fear or favour,” Dr Okiria added.

There is at present no information from investigators on any particular individual being culpable over the saga.

Detectives from the anti-tsar institution have combined with counterparts from SHACU, Police’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations and the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) to assemble incriminating evidence.

Section 15(5) of the Inspectorate of Government (IG) Act, 2002, gives the institution the “power to investigate, cause investigation, arrest, cause arrest, prosecute or cause prosecution in respect of cases involving corruption, abuse of authority or of public office”.

Guilty or not?

Speaking to Speaker Among’s decision to replace the iron sheets, lawyer Peter Walubiri yesterday said restitution of the items is “an admission of guilt” and would not shield anyone against possible prosecution.

“This is evidence that she did something wrong … and tried to make good. What this can do is to lessen her sentence [if tried and convicted] because she has been repentant. It should also make prosecution easier,” he said.

However, Ms Among yesterday reiterated that she did not ask for the iron sheets she received, committed no offence and shifted burden of explanation to Karamoja ministry that superintends the cited relief.

“Whoever got iron sheets did not steal. They did not even solicit, they were given.  All the people who are mentioned did not ask for those iron sheets. Even if I ask, the discretion [to give or deny] is yours [as the giver]. You know where those iron sheets are supposed to go; so, you should not push the blame on other people,” she said.

The Speaker said OPM manages different affirmative action programmes and that it was not possible for recipients to know that the iron sheets came from the Karamoja docket.

“We receive these things we think it is [given] in good faith and our constituents need them,” she said, contradicting accounts by ministere Kitutu that distribution of the items followed “requests”.

A parliamentary committee is presently investigating the claims of irregular sharing of the iron sheets and Karamoja Parliament Group has asked ministers Kitutu and Nanduttu to resign. 

MPs speak out on Speaker

The Opposition Chief Whip John Baptist Nambeshe applauded Ms Among’s “deep remorse”, advising those “adversely named in the saga of iron sheets meant for the vulnerable to follow. They should not only show remorse, but also pick a leaf” from the Speaker.

Napak District Woman MP Faith Nakut said that “in Karamoja, we believe in the justice of restoration. If you steal someone’s cow, you refund it. I appeal to the others who received [iron sheets] to refund”.

Her Isingiro South counterpart, Ms Alex Byarugaba, welcomed Ms Among’s gesture, but called for the “one who was dishing out” to be brought to book.

Mr Ssemujju Nganda, Kira Municipality, who applauded the Speaker for being exemplary, questioned when prosecution will start since the culprits are known.   

“Yesterday, the Leader of government business was missing here, even today she is missing. I wanted to find out if she has already been arrested because she took 300 iron sheets. Or she is writing a statement at police… I want to know so that we report to police because we have a civic duty people that police is looking for we report when we have seen them,” he said.