Local Government leaders in Karamoja Subregion have denounced efforts by the Speaker of Parliament Rt Hon. Anita Among to set up committee to investigate circumstances under which iron sheets meant for Karamoja residents ended in private holdings for high-end government officials.
The visibly angry leaders contend that it is completely unacceptable for “malicious” individuals who took a leading role in stealing the said iron sheets to supreintend over investigations into the scandal.
According to these furious leaders, no government official will deliver justice to the residents of Karamoja Subregion, when these very officials including Speaker of Parliament were implicated in the illegal sharing of the iron sheets, as a wedding cake.
To avoid compromising the credibility of the investigations and deliver justice to Karamoja residents, these leaders want President Yoweri Museveni to be involved directly in efforts to find out the truth.
Parliamentary committee on Presidential Affairs today commenced on a grand strategy to meet some of the residents in Karamoja Subregion, including Local Government leaders to unearth new facts in relation to the scandal.
Local Government leaders in the region led by Nabilatuk LCV Chairperson Paul Lokol say the ongoing arrangements by Parliament are not to be trusted, and that even the summon letters given to them by the Presidential Affairs committee were not elaborate enough on the topic of discussions.
Lokol says the lead personnel in the investigations and their superiors took part in illegally allocating themselves the said ironsheets, and that nothing tangible should be expected from such self-seeking individuals.
“Which justice are we going to get, where there is a lot of confusion? Who is going to preside over this house where they are going to discuss this issue? Is it the same speaker who has participated in this theft? will the Prime Minister be the leader of business in the same house that is being implicated of taking some Iron sheets? There is no any person who will give us justice except His excellency the President,” wonders Lokol.
He firmly remarked that Parliament led investigations into this scandal is just a wastage of time which will bear no credible results, and added that their hopes for justice are in President Yoweri Museveni, whose eagerly sought intervention is expected to lead to the sacking of Karamoja affairs Minister Dr. Mary Goretti Kitutu.
Lokol also implored President Yoweri Museveni to take charge and thoroughly discipline all his ministers who took part in illegally allocating themselves iron sheets meant for Karamoja locals, whose opportunity to graduate from grass thatched houses to iron sheets has been curtailed by what he termed “self-seeking” ministers.
The LCV Chairperson for Amudat district Lobot Joseph Nangole says they have little faith and confidence in Parliamentary committees that summoned them as Local Government leaders to rectify shortcomings in the process of delivery of the contentious iron sheets to Karamoja households, saying that even funds to procure fuel for transport to meet these committee members were not supplied.
“My advice is for the President to take measures and ensure that these people are actually made to account for all whatever they diverted, the process that the Parliament has taken should be followed to the dot and that is exactly ensuring that those who are involved must be well investigated, the Minister should be made to step aside,” advised Nangole.
He also called upon responsible parties to investigate circumstances under which funds meant to buy goats for Karamoja households, in a poverty alleviation strategy by government were misappropriated, something that left a large chuck of residents unbenefited by the initiative.
The goat intervention strategy was also marred by controversy, in which according to the budget from Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), each goat was valued at UGX. 800,000, however some of the goats which were delivered were in bad health conditions which led to the death of most of them.
Interviewed for this publication, the Presidential Affairs committee Chairperson Jesca Ababiku, supplied assurances to Karamoja Subregion leaders, urging them to be optimistic, and that their complaints will be looked into with vigilance.
“Yes we are starting our investigations, they are the petitioners so we can start with them, these are district local government leaders where the Iron sheets will be taken. We are doing a comprehensive investigation and first we have to listen to the complainant before we invite a suspect,” said Ms. Ababiku.
Preliminary investigations into the scandal implicated a handful of ministers and high-end government officials, who shared the contentious iron sheets that were meant for needy households in Karamoja, as a wedding cake.
Accordingly, Minister Mary Goretti Kitutu got the highest number of iron sheets totaling to 7,500, Speaker Among got 500, Vice president Jessica Alupo got 500, Prime Minister Nabbanja got 200, Finance Minister Matia Kasaija got 600 iron sheets, among other ministers and officials.
Also according to these investigations, the said iron sheets were painted to extinguish marks depicting that they originated from the Office of the Prime Minister, and made ready for sale at several hardwares belonging to these ministers and officials.
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