Prime
Iron sheets: Small gifts that troubled ministers
Police and officials from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) look on as workers offload iron sheets from a truck at the OPM stores in Namanve, Mukono District, on April 13, after they were returned by representatives of one of the officials implicated in the iron sheets scandal. PHOTO | ABUBAKER LUBOWA
What you need to know:
- The DPP Jane Frances Abodo has said files against 17 implicated officials on the iron sheets saga had been closed for lack of incriminating evidence.
The 14,200 iron sheets meant for poor Karimojong that ministers allegedly shared cost the government in excess of Shs1b.
However, our computations show that the money worth of consignment per individual was within each recipient’s monthly earning, leading to questions why the political executives did not buy the roofing materials for their constituents with money from their pocket in the first place.
To-date, the minister have returned 6,100 iron sheets, another batch have paid cash equivalent to the value of 1,000 pieces while investigators retrieved 2,295 iron sheets from homes of suspects. There are in total 5,105 iron sheets which have neither been recovered nor paid for.
An investigation started in February, this year, by State House Anti-Corruption Unit, who were later on President Museveni’s orders joined by police and the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), adversely named 20 ministers, 31 parliamentarians and thirteen chief administrative officers (Caos) in irregularly receiving the iron sheets.
Three ministers – Goretti Kitutu for Karamoja Affairs, her junior Agness Nandutu and State Planning minister Amos Lugoloobi – have been charged with different offences at the Anti-Corruption Court where their trial is pending.
And on Saturday, a weekend on which government officials generally don’t work, DPP Jane Frances Abodo, who had spent weeks scrutising evidence police bolstered against the suspects on guidance of her office, convened a press conference to proclaim that files against 17 implicated ministers had been closed for lack of incriminating evidence.
She did not name them, referring journalist to police for details.
As inquiries against the accused gained traction, capturing public imagination, our computations based on specific number of iron sheets that each individual received had a money worth less than the month official benefits – salaries and allowances – of each suspect.
Official records show that the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), under which the Relief and Disaster Preparedness ministry is domiciled, on behalf of the government bought each of the 100,000 iron sheets for delivery to Karamoja at Shs71,000 per piece.
With implicated ministers receiving anywhere between 200 to 2,000 iron sheets, it means buying the roofing materials with money from their pockets outright would have cost each Shs14m to Shs142m.
These amounts may seem substantial in a country where the average annual income per citizen, otherwise called per capita income, is below Shs3m.
However, official payments to individual ministers, many of whom are Members of Parliament, either in a month of more, outstrip the value of the iron sheets they received which turned them into subjects of criminal investigations.
In an interview for this article, Information minister, Dr Chris Baryomunsi, said each minister, as an MP, gets a monthly salary Shs11.6m and an addition 30 percent of the salary, or Shs3.3m, bringing the total to about Shs15m.
This excludes untaxed allowances; mileage (Shs4.5m), constituency facilitation (Shs3.2 m), subsistence (Shs1m), and Shs50,000 per allowance per committee sitting.
They are also entitled to a monthly Shs9m social security benefit and another Shs1m christened as town running allowance.
This is in addition to the Shs200m one-off payment to each lawmaker for purchase of a vehicle per term.
The ministers also enjoy medical insurance at tax payers’ cost for themselves and their families, a monthly gratuity worth 30 percent of their gross income, a frontloaded Shs50m loan as wardrobe advance (loan).
When on a travel out of the country, minister get no less than $520 (Shs2m) as daily allowance and pocket more than Shs150,000 per day on inland travel.
In addition, they are chauffeured and entitled to a lead car, if they want, and have about five guards assigned for their protection at work and home, leaving much of the money they get available for discretionary spending.
Following news of the iron sheet scandal, President Museveni, in a terse letter to the Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, ordered that ministers who got iron sheets meant for vulnerable Karimojong should return them or pay equivalent value in cash.
He accused them of theft, if they applied the iron sheets to personal use, and political corruption and cheap popularity if they donated the pieces to constituents, promising political action based on the outcome of police investigations.
Karamoja Affairs minister Mary Goretti Kitutu (centre), arrives at the Anti-Corruption Court in Kololo, Kampala, on April 6, 2023, where she was charged with two counts of causing loss of public property and conspiracy to defraud. PHOTO | ABUBAKER LUBOWA
Those inquiries had targeted 40 suspects, but DPP Abodo announced Saturday that seventeen of the files were closed from the outset because the cases were unrelated to Karamoja iron sheets while three ministers and several technocrats are being prosecuted over the saga.
She said seventeen files of pending cases against officials have been closed for lack of incriminating evidence, turning the nation’s attention to President Museveni, the appointing authority of ministers, for his promised political action.
Profiles of Ministers, age and what they have since said about Iron sheets
Mary Kitutu (61)
The Karamoja Affairs minister is the Manafwa District Woman MP, and is a former Energy minister. Ms Kitutu is facing prosecution at the Anti-Corruption Court for offences related to the iron sheet saga over which she apologised during a parliamentary inquest.
Agnes Nandutu
The first-time Bududa District Woman MP was named the junior Karamoja Affairs minister two years ago. Like her senior Kitutu, Ms Nandutu admitted receiving 2,000 iron sheets, and said she had not used them. She is among three ministers facing prosecution.
Robinah Nabbanja (55)
The Kakumiro District Woman MP is the current Prime Minister, having previously served as the State minister for Health (General Duties). Ms Nabbanja previously said iron sheets that she received were from the Office of the Prime Minister’s Affirmative Action programmes, not Karamoja docket.
Matia Kasaija (79 years)
The Finance minister represents Kibaale’s Buyanja County in the 11th Parliament. He has served in the Cabinet for 17 years. Mr Kasaija admitted receiving iron sheets, an offer he said was unsolicited, and returned an equivalent consignment.
Amos Lugoloobi (62)
Already facing prosecution at the Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala, the Ntenjeru North MP was named minister two years ago and has been an MP for about a decade. He returned the iron sheets, which he has since christened as “evil”, after using some to roof an animal shed.
Jesca Alupo (49)
The Vice President doubles as Katakwi District Woman MP. She has cumulatively served in Cabinet for eight years, interspaced from 2009. Maj (rtd) Alupo said an aide received the iron sheets unsolicited, and she donated them for roofing schools and churches at home.
Rebecca Kadaga (67)
The Kamuli District Woman MP is the 1st Deputy Prime Minister and East African Community Affairs minister. One of Uganda’s longest-serving lawmakers, Ms Kadaga has served variously as minister, deputy and full Speaker of Parliament since 1996. She elected to pay cash for iron sheets she got.
Rose Lilly Akello (52)
The Karenga District representative is currently the State minister for Ethics. She has been a legislator for more than a decade. Ms Akello was among ministers whom the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) bounced on first attempt to return iron sheets. It’s unclear if she was cleared to do so.
Anita Among (50)
The Bukedea District Woman MP, who had been Deputy Speaker, was elected to steer the House following the death of Jacob Oulanyah on March 20, 2022. Ms Among has been a lawmaker for 7 years and returned iron sheets she received, saying she wasn’t aware they were from the Karamoja docket.
Judith Nabakooba (46)
The ex-Mityana District Woman MP is the current Lands minister following a stint as the in-charge for ICT docket. Ms Nabakooba has been a minister for 8 years, and is among those who returned iron sheets.
Hamson Obua (43)
The Ajuri constituency representative has been an MP for 17 years, and is the current Government Chief Whip, a position equivalent to a Cabinet minister. He was prior the junior Sports minister. Mr Obua returned the iron sheets.
Jacob Oboth-Oboth(52)
The State Defence minister represents West Budama South in the 11th Parliament. A seasoned legislator, Mr Oboth-Oboth was named a minister two years ago. He acknowledged getting iron sheets unsolicited and said he donated them.
Jenipher Namuyangu (43)
She has been a minister for more than a docket and presently superintends the Bunyoro ministry docket. She declined to comment on the iron sheet saga when this newspaper reached out to her on the onset of the scandal.
Esther Anyakur (47)
Shs is the State Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees and Woman MP for Nakapiripirit District. She admitted receiving iron sheets and she delivered them to the chief administrative officer.
Henry Musasizi (42)
He is the State Minister of Finance (General Duties) and represent Rubanda East constituency. Mr Musasizi has served in Cabinet for nearly two years and as an MP for 12 years. He admitted receiving iron sheets which he said were donated.
Fred Bwino Kyakulaga (59)
He represents Kigulu North constituency of Iganga District and has served as the State Minister for Agriculture since mid-2021. Mr Bwino admitted taking iron sheets, but said he donated them.
Rukia Isanga Nakadama(53)
She is the Third Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Without Portfolio who previously served as State Minister for Gender and Culture. She is the Mayuge District Woman Member of Parliament and has been a minister for more than a decade.
Joyce kaducu (54)
She is the State Minister for Primary Education and Moyo District Woman MP. She previously served as the State minister for Primary Healthcare. Ms Kaducu is a medical officer and has been a lawmaker for a decade and minister for nearly seven years.
