The second minister of Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni’s cabinet, Amos Lugolobi, has been charged and remanded over stealing iron sheets that were meant for the poor people in the insecurity-infested Karamoja sub-region in the country’s eastern side. Photo Courtesy of Lugolobi
Lugolobi, who is the state minister for finance and planning was arrested last Friday and has since been in police custody until he was on Monday arraigned before the anti-corruption court, in Kampala.
Lugolobi is accused of stealing 600 iron sheets which he claims were just given to him by the Office of the Prime Minister -OPM. The minister had used the iron sheets to roof his cattle’s housing shed but he panicked and deroofed the structure when investigations started.
He becomes the second minister to face corruption charges over stealing iron sheets meant for the poor person in Karamoja. The first minister to be charged with stealing poor people’s iron sheets was Mary Gorreti Kitutu, who is also the overall supervisor of the Karamoja area.
Kitutu spent eight days at Luzira prison before she gained temporary freedom on Friday through court bail. Lugolobi will reappear in court on April 20 for the ruling on his request to be released on bail.
Karamoja is currently facing rampant armed cattle raids which have seen Museveni deploy military and police to face off with the culprits. So far, 700 cattle rustlers also known as warriors have been killed and more than 20000 arrested in the last two years.
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Lugolobi and Kitutu are not the only top government officials implicated in the theft of iron sheets. Museveni’s Vice Jessica Alupo, Speaker of Parliament Anita Among, and Prime Minister Robinna Nabbanja are also suspects and some have already returned the stolen iron sheets.
Ugandan media reports that more than eight ministers wait to be arraigned in courts of law over iron sheets theft. Members are also not spared as more than 30 of the reportedly participated in stealing poor people’s iron sheets.