KAMPALA, Uganda — An anti-corruption court in Uganda has sentenced former Karamoja Affairs minister Agnes Nandutu to four years in prison over the diversion of relief materials intended for vulnerable communities.
The sentence, delivered by Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga, marks a significant development in ongoing efforts to address corruption linked to the misallocation of government aid in the Karamoja sub-region.
In addition to the custodial term, the court barred Nandutu from holding public office for 10 years, effectively ending her immediate political prospects.
The case centred on the diversion of 2,000 iron sheets from a government programme designed to support reformed Karachuna warriors and elderly residents in Karamoja.
According to court findings, only a fraction of the 10,000 iron sheets under the initiative reached the intended beneficiaries.
“These are offices held in trust for the good of the people and the country,” Kajuga said.
“The project was aimed at supporting disarmament and restoring peace.”
In her ruling, the judge underscored that Nandutu occupied positions of “impeccable trust” in both the executive and legislative arms of government, and that her actions constituted a breach of that responsibility.
The court applied the Constitution (Sentencing Guidelines) Practice Directions of 2013, weighing both aggravating and mitigating factors.
It found that the former minister had abused her office for personal benefit and that the offence involved essential supplies meant for a particularly vulnerable population.
Kajuga further ruled that, as a cabinet-level official, Nandutu bore a heightened duty to ensure proper implementation of public programmes, concluding that these aggravating factors outweighed the mitigation presented by the defence.
Nandutu’s legal team had sought leniency, citing her status as a first-time offender, a single mother of seven, and the sole provider for her elderly mother.
The court also considered her public apology to the President, the people of Karamoja, and the nation, as well as her efforts to return the iron sheets and compensate for those that were unaccounted for.
However, the judge noted that the defence had not provided updated medical evidence to support claims that she was unfit for imprisonment.
Kajuga declined to impose a fine as an alternative to a custodial sentence. Under Section 21(1) of Uganda’s Anti-Corruption Act, the maximum fine stands at 160 currency points, equivalent to Shs 3.2 million.
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She described the amount as “paltry” and “inadequate” for an offence of such gravity.
“The sentence must be proportionate to the crime committed. A fine of Shs 3.2 million is too low and does not reflect the seriousness of the offence,” Kajuga said, adding that the legislature may need to review existing penalties.
The ruling comes amid heightened scrutiny of the Karamoja iron sheets scandal, which has implicated several senior officials and sparked national debate in Uganda over accountability in the management of public resources.
The programme was part of broader government efforts to stabilise Karamoja through disarmament and socio-economic support.
However, reports of diversion and misuse of materials have raised concerns about systemic weaknesses in oversight and distribution mechanisms.
Anti-corruption agencies have in recent months intensified prosecutions, signalling a tougher stance against abuse of public office, particularly in programmes targeting vulnerable communities.
