The President of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, has acted on his promise to crack the whip on corruption as he sacked two top ministers in charge of Karamoja Affairs after they were implicated in the Karamoja iron sheet scandal.
On Thursday, March 22nd, 2024, the president of Uganda announced on his X account (formerly Twitter) that there had been a slight change in ministers.
The former cabinet minister for Karamoja Affairs, Hon. Goretti Kitutu, and the state minister for Karamoja Affairs, Hon. Agnes Nandutu, were among the few ministers who were dropped and didn’t make it to the long-awaited ministers list that the President released on his X account.
“I hereby inform the country that, by virtue of the authority given to the President of Uganda by Articles 108(2), 108A (1), 113(1), and 114(1) of the 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, here below I publish a slightly amended list of the cabinet of Uganda,” Museveni wrote.
In the past, the president has received criticism for sheltering corruption; some of his ministers have been cited in corruption scandals, and many have not been summoned or relieved of their duties. But the current reshuffle and dropping of top cabinet ministers who are still in court for charges of corruption shows that there is willingness from the top to combat the deadly vice.
Kitutu and Nandutu are currently facing charges of abuse and office mismanagement after they diverted iron sheets meant for relief for the people of Karamoja.
According to the police investigations, both Nandutu and Kitutu were found in possession of government property in their homes when they were supposed to have supervised the smooth allocation of these relief materials to their intended beneficiaries.
The president may not have given the reason as to why the two ministers were dropped but to the general public, it shows that there is a will from the top to combat corruption.
