Prosecution proved that shortly after the launch, Nandutu was informed that 2,000 iron sheets had been allocated to her from the remaining stock, allegedly for landslide victims. She accepted the allocation and facilitated their collection.
The Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court has convicted Bududa District Woman Member of Parliament and former State Minister for Karamoja Affairs, Hon. Nandutu Agnes, for the offence of dealing with suspect government property.
The conviction, secured on April 8, 2026, followed prosecution by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP). The case was presided over by Hon. Lady Justice Jane Okuo.
Court heard that between June and July 2022, Nandutu unlawfully received and retained 2,000 pre-painted iron sheets marked “Office of the Prime Minister,” despite having reason to believe the items had been irregularly obtained. The iron sheets were part of government relief supplies intended for vulnerable communities in the Karamoja sub-region.
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At the time, Nandutu was serving both as Woman MP for Bududa District and Minister of State for Karamoja Affairs under the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM). The ministry was implementing a government programme funded under a supplementary budget of approximately Shs39.94 billion for the 2021/2022 financial year, aimed at supporting disarmament and community empowerment in Karamoja through distribution of relief items.
As part of the programme, OPM procured 95,044 pre-painted iron sheets, which were stored at its Namanve facility for official distribution.
In June 2022, a requisition for 10,000 iron sheets was approved to facilitate a presidential launch of the distribution exercise in Moroto District. However, only 1,000 iron sheets were issued, leaving a balance of 9,000 at the stores.
Prosecution proved that shortly after the launch, Nandutu was informed that 2,000 iron sheets had been allocated to her from the remaining stock, allegedly for landslide victims. She accepted the allocation and facilitated their collection.
On June 23, 2022, she reportedly provided transport funds and instructed her political assistant to pick up the iron sheets from OPM stores in Namanve. The consignment was first delivered to a private residence in Wakiso District, where she personally verified it, before being transferred to her residence in Seeta, Mukono District, where it was stored under her authority.
During police investigations in March 2023, Nandutu recorded a statement confirming the sequence of events and later led investigators to her farm. A search by the Evidence Response Team recovered 1,617 iron sheets from the premises. She failed to account for the remaining 383 iron sheets.
The court found that her actions amounted to dealing with suspect property, leading to her conviction.
The case is part of wider investigations into the mismanagement of iron sheets meant for vulnerable communities in Karamoja, a scandal that has implicated several public officials.
Nandutu’s bail has been cancelled, and she has been remanded to Luzira Prison pending sentencing on Friday.
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