The Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has dropped charges against State Minister for Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Amos Lugoloobi, who was accused of diverting iron sheets meant for vulnerable communities in the Karamoja sub-region.
Lugoloobi’s case had reached the defence-hearing stage at the Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala, where he was accused of dealing with more than 700 pre-painted iron sheets labelled “Office of the Prime Minister.”
The materials were meant for Karamoja’s underprivileged households under the Karamoja Community Empowerment Programme but were instead found on his farm in Kayunga District, where he had used some to roof a goat shed.
After public outrage, the minister apologized, dismantled the structure, and returned the iron sheets.
He maintained that he had not acted corruptly, arguing that the accompanying documents did not specify that the sheets were strictly for Karamoja.
The DPP’s decision to discontinue the case has reignited debate about accountability in Uganda’s political class, particularly regarding the handling of the multi-billion-shilling iron sheets meant to benefit some of the country’s poorest citizens.
The scandal broke in early 2023 when it emerged that iron sheets procured under a supplementary budget for the Karamoja Community Empowerment Programme had been distributed to politicians, ministers, and government officials outside the intended region.
The materials were meant to support vulnerable households in Karamoja, a region long plagued by drought, insecurity, and poverty.
Investigations revealed that dozens of high-ranking officials had received allocations. While some returned the materials after public pressure, three cabinet ministers — Mary Goretti Kitutu, Amos Lugoloobi, and Agnes Nandutu — were formally charged in court.
Kitutu, the former Minister for Karamoja Affairs, was accused of causing the loss of public property, while Nandutu, her deputy, was charged with dealing with suspect property. Both pleaded not guilty, and their trials are ongoing.
The revelations sparked widespread public anger and became one of Uganda’s biggest corruption scandals in years.
Critics argued that the affair highlighted systemic abuse of office and impunity within government ranks, as materials meant for one of the poorest regions were diverted to well-connected politicians.
The scandal also drew international attention. In April 2024, the United Kingdom announced sanctions against three Ugandan officials — Speaker of Parliament Anita Among, former ministers Kitutu and Agnes Nandutu — for what it called “serious corruption involving the theft of iron sheets intended for vulnerable communities.”
The sanctions included travel bans and asset freezes under the UK’s Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions Regime. The UK government said the officials had personally benefited from or facilitated the misappropriation of relief materials meant for the people of Karamoja.
A month later, the United States followed suit, imposing visa restrictions and sanctions on the same officials, as well as on Lugoloobi and other senior figures accused of “significant corruption and misuse of public resources.”
The US State Department said the sanctions were intended to “promote accountability for those who abuse their positions of power to enrich themselves at the expense of citizens.”
Speaker Among dismissed the sanctions as politically motivated, while the Ugandan government formally protested, saying the measures violated principles of sovereignty and due process.
The wider “mabati scandal” has had lasting consequences for Uganda’s image, with critics warning that repeated corruption cases erode trust in public institutions and deter international investment.
With the DPP dropping the charges against Minister Lugoloobi, one of the central cases in the Karamoja iron sheets saga has effectively ended.Now is Kitutu and Nandutu who remain in the dock .