THE TRUTH! As probe widens, here’s how top gov’t officials, Ministers, Mps shared Karamoja relief items, cash - kitutu to be sacrificed.

Photo: Minister for Karamoja Maria Goretti Kitutu who is in hot soup

The Minister for Karamoja Maria Goretti Kitutu is in hot soup following allegations of mismanaging relief cash and items for the region.

This was after iron sheets marked ‘for Office of the Prime Minister’ and part of the aid to Karamoja were found at Kitutu’s relatives homes in Namisindwa where the minister is the district Woman Mp.

However, this publication has learnt that the probe has widened to other regions outside Karamoja where the same relief items have been found and several top government officials have been implicated.

 

The bosses under probe include a top official in Parliament, a top politician at OPM, several ministers and MPs.

The same relief items have reportedly been cited in Kakumiro district where iron sheets marked ‘for Office of the Prime Minister’ were used to roof a house for one of the area politician’s mother and a hotel.

Some have also been discovered in Bududa, Bukedea and other areas within Busoga, western and eastern Uganda.

“This could be a mother of all scandals at OPM and many top government officials will be exposed,” a source knowledgeable on the course of the investigations told this publication.

A full list of who shared what will be in our subsequent publication.

According to legislators from Karamoja sub-region, under the affirmative action programme, Shs39 billion was approved by Parliament through a supplementary budget for the pacification of Karamoja and another Shs135 billion for the procurement of relief food which has since been grossly mismanaged.

The relief was meant for vulnerable groups, interest groups, institutions (churches, schools, mosques, health centres) and reformed warriors in the region.

Pian County MP Remigio Achia says that at least shs22 billion out of the shs39 billion was not delivered to the intended beneficiaries. The money, he says, was meant to procure goats, 100,000 pieces of iron sheets for reformed warriors.

According to Achia, the Ministry of Karamoja says it spent 25 billion Shillings to purchase goats yet on the ground, only 35 per cent of the goats have been supplied to the vulnerable beneficiary youth and women groups.

The MPs also talk of mismanagement of 3,500 bags of maize that were in Namalu Prison Farm. The maize was meant to feed primary school children during the extended COVID-19 lockdown under the Feed Karamoja Project.

The MPs now want forensic audits conducted on both the procurement and distribution of these relief items—iron sheets and goats to the intended beneficiaries as well as the food stores in Namalu Prison Farm.

They have also petitioned the Speaker of Parliament to institute a Select Committee to do an independent and in-depth investigation into the allegations to establish the facts.

Following media reports of the alleged diversion and sale of iron sheets destined for Karamoja under the Affirmative Action Programmes, Keith Muhakanizi, the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister requested the Karamoja Affairs Ministry to submit accountability of the iron sheets.

In his letter dated February 13, 2023, Muhakanizi called on the responsible institutions of government to speed up investigations on the allegations and bring the culprits to book.

For years, the Karamoja region has suffered the ravages of insecurity and famine that has claimed lives and still counting.

As the government and development partners seek lasting solutions, the humanitarian crisis in Karamoja has led to the displacement of families from their homes to neighbouring districts.