The First Deputy Prime Minister also Kamuli District Woman MP Rebbeca Kadaga has confirmed that she requested and received iron sheets from the Office of the Prime Minister because she wanted to rehabilitate Health Centres in her constituency that were destroyed by the strong winds and hailstorms.
“This is to confirm that I requested and received 250 iron sheets from the office of the Prime Minister to facilitate the repair of the Facilities at Buzaaya Health subdistrict, Health Centre II, located at Buwooya, Bugulumbya Sub-county in Kamuli District. I also received 250 iron sheets from Office of the Prime Minister to repair Buwooya Primary school, which together with the Health Center II had equally been devastated by a hailstorm,” Kadaga tweeted.
Kadaga is among the Ministers who received iron sheets meant to be given to the people of Karamoja. The iron sheets kept in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) stores were meant to be distributed to people in the Karamoja sub-region under the affirmative action programme.
On 15th February this year, the legislators under the Karamoja Parliamentary Group (KPG) accused the docket head, Minister of Karamoja Affairs Mary Goretti Kitutu, of diverting iron sheets, goats and foods that were meant to benefit Karamoja residents, who in the recent past were affected by starvation and spates of insecurity.
Other ministers involved include; Moriku Kaducu Joyce who received 200, Jacob Oboth Oboth 300, Rukia Nakadama 300, Matia Kasaija 300, Kitutu Mary Goretti 3,000, Obua Dennis Hanson 300, Lugoloobi Amos 300 and Bwiino Kyakulaga 300.
Finance Minister Matia Kasaija revealed that he didn’t request for iron sheets but they were just allocated to him. “I think they are sympathetic to people, especially those with constituencies. I am not criticising them that they offered them to us, but definitely, I never placed any application.”
He added: “We were told ‘you go and pick the iron sheets and take them to your constituencies’. The person who gave them [to us] was from OPM but I can’t remember who he was because sometimes they came through my personal assistant and sometimes, they went through my political assistant based in the constituency.”
Members of Parliament from the Karamoja sub-region have since signed a notice of motion to the clerk of parliament to censure the minister for Karamoja Affairs Dr Kitutu. Under Article 118 of the constitution, a cabinet minister can be censured by parliament if they are involved in abusing or mismanaging their office among other things.
The proposed move for discipline follows reports that the minister was allegedly involved in diverting items like iron sheets and other supplies to support the disarmament exercise in Karamoja. Soon the parliamentary committee in charge of presidential affairs will soon open investigations into the matter.
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