The Minister for Karamoja, Mary Goretti Kitutu, was arraigned in court on corruption charges linked to the alleged swindling of iron sheets intended for vulnerable people in the Karamoja sub‑region. She appeared in court accompanied by Michael Kitutu Naboya, a relative, while her personal assistant, Joshua Abaho, was absent. The state prosecutor read charges of loss of public property under section 10(i) of the Anti‑Corruption Act 2009 and conspiracy to defraud under section 309 of the Penal Code Act. According to the prosecution, between June 2022 and January 2023, Kitutu diverted 9,000 iron sheets from the Office of the Prime Minister’s stores in Namanve for her own benefit, causing a loss to the government. Her personal assistant faces a separate corruption charge, and her relative is charged with receiving stolen property. Both denied the allegations before trial magistrate Joan Aciro, with Kitutu stating, “I have understood the charges. They are not true and I am not guilty.”
Assistant DPP Josephine Namatovu informed the court that investigations are ongoing and that a criminal summons is being sought for the absent co‑accused. The defence team, led by lawyers Michael Wamasebu and Jude Byamukama, requested bail for the minister, a matter the court is still considering. The senior minister arrived at the courthouse around midday in a police‑escorted Renault Duster, under tight security by counter‑terrorism officers. Dressed in a yellow blouse and a dotted white skirt, she covered herself to avoid cameras before being led into the courtroom, where she joined a relative also accused in the iron‑sheet case. The Minister for Environment, Beatrice Anywar, was among the few officials who visited and stood with Kitutu.
Kitutu’s troubles began when relatives, including her mother, were arrested by the State House Anti‑Corruption Unit for possessing the iron sheets meant for Karamoja. She later intervened to secure their release. President Museveni subsequently directed the police and the State House Anti‑Corruption Unit to conduct a thorough investigation. The parliamentary committee on presidential affairs also launched its own inquiry; when Kitutu appeared before the committee, she refused to take the oath, leading parliament to hand her over to the CID, where she again declined to speak.
Several other ministers and government officials implicated in the iron‑sheet saga have publicly disowned Kitutu. Finance Minister Matia Kasaija, for example, asserted that he never solicited the sheets, which were simply delivered to him. When questioned about the accusations, Kitutu declined to comment.
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