Kitutu was this week charged and remanded to Luzira prison until April 12 on three counts of corruption, conspiracy to defraud, and loss of government property. Kitutu was remanded alongside her brother, Michael Naboya Kitutu.

But Bishop Kisembo in his Easter message said that prosecuting Kitutu only yet other government ministers and MPs were equally implicated is not enough. He described Kitutu’s appearance in the Anti-Corruption court as a selective application of the law.

“The issue of iron sheets, yes we know that a minister has been arrested but not all of them have been arrested. Maybe there is selective justice, and we pray that all that took the iron sheets, the same law should apply to them…the law should apply to all people implicated in this scandal,” said Kisembo.

According to the charge sheet, Kitutu allegedly caused a loss of public property between June 2022 and January 2023 by diverting 14,500 pre-painted iron sheets intended for the Karamoja Community Empowerment Program to her own benefit and that of third parties.

It is also alleged that at the same time, her co-accused Naboya, a peasant farmer and a resident of Bukhawekha sub-county, Namisindwa district received 100 iron sheets yet they were stolen property.

The police have been investigating at least 22 ministers, 31 MPs, and 13 chief administrative officers (CAOs) believed to have irregularly received the iron sheets meant for the vulnerable people of Karamoja sub-region. Some of those implicated include vice president Jessica Alupo, premier Robinah Nabbanja, speaker of parliament Anita Among, and all three Finance ministers among others.

Earlier in December 2021, parliament passed a supplementary budget worth Shs 39 billion to support various programs in Karamoja, including the purchase of 100,000 iron sheet pieces, which are alleged to have been diverted.

Last month, the Karamoja Parliamentary Group formally wrote to the clerk to parliament, Adolf Mwesige, notifying him of their intent to file a notice of motion for the censure of Minister Kitutu.

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni days later directed the police’s criminal investigations department (CID) and the State House Anti-corruption Unit to jointly carry out investigations into the scandal, with the suspects recording statements at CID before the DPP took over the charges.

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