The long-running court battle involving State Minister for Finance, Amos Lugoloobi, has come to an end after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) withdrew all charges against him in the Karamoja iron sheets scandal.
The case was formally discontinued before Lady Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga after State Attorney Gloria Inzikuru presented a nolle prosequi dated November 7, 2025, indicating that the DPP had lost interest in pursuing the matter.
Justice Kajuga confirmed the decision, citing Article 120 of the Constitution, which empowers the DPP to end any criminal proceedings before judgment.
“Since the DPP has withdrawn the case, there is no longer any matter before this court unless the accused faces other charges,” she ruled.
Lugoloobi had been battling allegations of receiving 700 iron sheets meant for vulnerable communities in Karamoja, which he allegedly used to roof a structure on his farm in Kayunga District. The materials were said to have been obtained between July 2022 and March 2023.
For over a year, the minister stood trial, with several prosecution witnesses, including a church reverend, testifying against him. However, on November 11, 2025, when the case was scheduled for the defence to call more witnesses the DPP suddenly dropped the matter, bringing the proceedings to a close.
Throughout the trial, Minister Lugoloobi maintained his innocence, describing the case as politically selective. He said he received the iron sheets in his capacity as an MP and minister through official channels under the Office of the Prime Minister’s (OPM) affirmative action programs.
“I received the items following government procedures meant to support communities in hardship. My constituency, Ntenjeru North, is part of the Luwero Triangle, an area that also benefits from OPM’s affirmative action, just like Karamoja,” he told the court.
He explained that his political assistant, Allan Damulira, and aide, Hawa Bawaya, coordinated the collection of the materials from the OPM’s Luwero-Rwenzori Programme, believing they were meant for his area.
“When I later learnt that the iron sheets were intended for Karamoja, I replaced them using my own resources and returned them to the OPM,” he said.
The Karamoja iron sheets scandal erupted in 2023 when it emerged that relief items meant for vulnerable communities had been diverted to senior government officials. Lugoloobi was among three Ministers prosecuted, alongside Karamoja Affairs Minister Mary Goretti Kitutu and State Minister Agnes Nandutu.
While Lugoloobi is now a free man, Nandutu’s trial is scheduled to resume in December 2025, and Kitutu’s case remains unresolved amid claims of torture while in detention.
In June 2023, DPP Jane Frances Abodo disclosed that out of 40 related investigations, only three were taken to court. Seventeen were closed for lack of evidence, while the rest stalled after findings indicated that some officials were unaware the materials were meant for Karamoja.
With the DPP’s withdrawal, Minister Lugoloobi walks free, ending one of Uganda’s most high-profile corruption trials in recent years and reigniting public debate about fairness and accountability in the fight against graft.
