KAMPALA.
Troubled Bududu District Woman MP Ms Agnes Nandutu has told the Anti-Corruption Court that the 2,000 iron sheets she received from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) were to support landslide victims in her district not for personal use .
Defending herself on Thursday , the former journalist said whatever she did was in good faith to assist vulnerable communities in her constituency . “I was happy to receive the iron sheets because back home, people were homeless and staying in churches due to landslides.
Schools had been affected. I took them with the hope that they would help my people,” she said. Her testimony follows criminal summons issued on July 9, compelling her return to court to continue presenting her unsworn defence.
Justice Jane Kajuga, who is presiding over the trial, guided her through the session, reminding her to respond to the specific charges and evidence.
Ms Nandutu recalled being summoned by then-Senior Minister for Karamoja Affairs Mary Goretti Kitutu to accompany her on a trip to the sub-region in mid-2022 despite her ongoing treatment for blood clots in her lungs. She said she travelled to attend a presidential event.
At the event, she observed goats and iron sheets intended for the Karachunas—formerly armed youth being rehabilitated—but said she was unaware of the planning and only learnt about the items from ministry officer Peter Amadio.
“I did not know where the goats and iron sheets were coming from. I was told they were part of the Karachuna project,” she testified. Shortly after the trip, Ms Nandutu said Ms Kitutu informed her that Bududa had been allocated 2,000 iron sheets due to landslide devastation.
As the political head of Bugisu, she was tasked with ensuring their distribution. “She told me, ‘Get transport yourself.’ I had no choice,” she said. Ms Nandutu delegated her assistant, Evelyn Bazibu, to collect the iron sheets from OPM stores.
They were taken to Kampala for verification before being transported to Bududa, she said, a process delayed by her poor health and the need to compile a proper list of beneficiaries. “I never sold or misused a single sheet,” she said. However, the situation escalated when reports emerged that some of the iron sheets had been found in neighbouring Manafwa District.
According to her, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja summoned ministers, and Ms Kitutu allegedly blamed a drunken relative for the mix-up. The scandal intensified when Ms Nandutu’s name appeared on a list of high-profile recipients. “I saw my assistant’s voucher in the media.
The sheets were now being claimed as meant for Karamoja,” she said. She told court that at a follow-up meeting at OPM, many ministers explained how they had used their iron sheets to benefit their communities. She too explained that her delay was due to ongoing verification.
After President Museveni directed all recipients to return or pay for the sheets, Ms Nandutu said she deposited the money equivalent to those allegedly missing. She contested the police’s claim that more than 300 sheets were missing from her farm, arguing that the counting was done in her absence and without her farm manager present.
Throughout her testimony, Ms Nandutu portrayed herself as a first-time minister caught in a dysfunctional system and political power plays. “I was not given a chance, but I did what I could under very difficult circumstances to help my people,” she concluded. Ms Nandutu is facing charges of dealing with suspect property. The case has been adjourned for further hearing.
Nandutu testifies
“I was a first-time minister who was not given a chance; but I did what I could, under very difficult circumstances, to help my people,” Agnes Nandutu, former State Minister for Karamoja Affairs.