She was remanded to Luzira prison until April 13. Kitutu’s troubles stem from the diversion of iron sheets meant for Karamoja’s vulnerable people to her personal benefit and the benefit of others, mainly political and ministerial colleagues.
Most of the recipients claimed they never applied for these iron sheets. The vice president, Jessica Alupo, told the parliamentary committee on presidential affairs that she was duped by officials from the prime minister’s office to take the iron sheets!
If the vice president, who has full access to police and intelligence units, can be duped, who then cannot? Does Alupo expect the public to believe this? The minister of Finance, Matia Kasaija, gave a similar reason: he was called, and he found a heap of iron sheets in his compound.
He told the legislature that he never applied for them. The speaker of parliament, too, claimed the iron sheets found their way into her constituency. It is a similar refrain to that of former speaker Rebecca Kadaga, who said she used them to roof some schools in her constituency.
And the minister of state for Planning, Amos Lugolobi, decided to use them on his goats’ pen before he removed them after exposure in the media. The question is: does it matter anymore how these ministers acquired the iron sheets?
The country is lucky that the iron-sheet bonanza has been exposed! How many similar bonanzas have been swept under the carpet? If the OPM meant well, why didn’t they advertise or even involve the local communities where these vulnerable people reside? President Yoweri Museveni, while commenting on his new cabinet in May 2021, characterized them as fishermen.
He said Jesus Christ chose his disciples among the fishermen and didn’t appoint those in the upper strata of society. In a way, this was supposed to usher in a trustworthy group of public servants. But it appears the fishermen are not any better.
If Kitutu has found herself before the courts, the rest of the beneficiaries should do the honorable thing and resign. Convicting Kitutu and leaving others hanging on whimsy excuses such as being duped, is the silliest thing to do in the fight against corruption.
The concerned ministers have lost their moral authority to continue presiding over any public office. President Museveni ought to crack the whip harder.
The revelation of dishonest practices by some of his ministers has exposed his cabinet to ridicule. If they do not resign, he should retire them in the public interest. He needs to fight impunity.
Those who received the iron sheets, whether by application or duping, should return them and pay for the cost of transferring them to the vulnerable persons in Karamoja.
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