Karamoja Affairs Minister Mary Goretti Kitutu is set to be charged with abuse of office, Eagle Online can reliably report.

According to a source, Dr Kitutu’s matter has been taken over by the Inspector General of Government (IGG) and soon she will be arrested and charged.

Earlier this month, Kitutu confessed to diverting 3000 iron sheets that were meant for the unprivileged people in Karamoja.

Appearing before the Presidential Affairs Committee of Parliament Kitutu accepted responsibility for the mismanagement of iron sheets procured for the vulnerable in the sub-region.

“Some of the iron sheets were used to roof a boys’ dormitory in Situmi Primary School, Namisindwa district. The school lacked a store, hence storing them at a relative’s house,” she said.

She apologized to the committee and parliament noting that she was never guided about the project. Kitutu requested for 12,200 iron sheets to aid her in community mobilization and peace-building missions in Karamoja.

Her January 12, 2023, internal memo to the stores’ department at the OPM read in part, “During community mobilization and peace-building missions, I usually meet vulnerable groups and karuchunas (reformed warriors) who are willing to dissociate themselves from rustling. As part of my intervention, I will be distributing iron sheets to such special vulnerable groups.”

Last month, security operatives nabbed Cotilda Kitutu, Michael Nabwaya, and Julius Wabule. The accused are the mother, brother, and nephew of Minister Kitutu. The three were allegedly selling OPM-branded iron sheets to residents of Namisindwa district, in eastern Uganda.

Kitutu is among the top ministers who benefited from the iron sheets which were allegedly meant for people in Karamoja. The ministers involved in the scandal include; Rebecca Kadaga, Jacob Oboth Oboth, Hamson Obua, Amos Lugolobi, Matia Kasaija and others.

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President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni will next week address the Parliament on matters of National Importance. The address has been confirmed by Anita Annet Among who said the Museveni’s address will be premised on matters of National Importance.

Museveni’s address comes at a time when the house is processing the contagious Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2023 which seeks to criminalise same-sex relationships with a liability of imprisonment of two to 10 years for homosexuality, aggravated homosexuality, attempted homosexuality, aiding and abetting homosexuality, conspiracy to commit homosexuality and other related practices.

“I want to report that pursuant to Article 101 (2) of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni will be coming to address the House on Thursday, March 16, 2023. I urge all of you to be in the House that day to hear what the President says on what we can do to change our economy and society,” She said during the plenary.

Museveni last addressed parliament in June last 2022 at Kololo ceremonial grounds. The Speaker Anitah Among started by making her communication to mark the official opening of the 2nd Session of the 11th Parliament.

This was after the swearing-in of new Member of Parliament Andrew Ojok Oulanyah, who replaced his dad, former Speaker Jacob Oulanyah, the former Speaker of the Parliament, who died on March 20, 2022 in Seattle, Washington State.

During his address, Museveni pledged that the country will process coffee, oil and iron in a bid to boost revenue collection instead of exporting the commodities for peanuts.

He promised to engage parliament that is opposing the government’s plan to process coffee in a deal with Uganda Vinci Coffee Company. The president said he is the one who was interested in the company in coffee after he realized how much the country was losing from exporting raw coffee.

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The under fire flamboyant Member of Parliament for Mbarara North Robert Mwesigwa Rukari has written to the Inspector General of Police registering his complaint against police officers that effected his arrest.

Rukari in a letter dated March 7, 2023, which Eagle Online has seen says ASP Kharim Mukiibi was unprofessional during his arrest as he didn’t disclose himself and the reason for arrest to the MP.

“My name is Mwesigwa Robert Rukari Member of Parliament representing Mbarara City North Constituency. I wish to officially register my complaint against the above-mentioned police officers for their unprofessional conduct to my person. On March 1, 2o23, I was arrested at around 4.30pm between Bhatia Chambers and Jubilee Insurance Centre Building along Parliament Avenue as I was coming from a meeting with the creditor’s lawyer Stanley Omwony to discuss a new debt payment plan” Rukari who came out of Luzira prisons after pay part of the loan writes.

He further continues “The arrest was effected by a Court Bailiff Moses Kirunda together with ASP Kharim Mukiibi and another police constable whose name I couldn’t readily establish armed with a pistol and both dressed in an FFU blue and white anti-riot police uniforms. Without being shown a warrant of arrest, I was ordered to abandon my vehicle on the street and forced into a waiting private car Toyota Mark X, driven to Commercial Court”.

In his complaint says to his surprise, even after the Assistant Registrar committed him to prison, at around 6.30pm, the same police officers and court Bailiff Moses Kirunda ordered him back to the same private car without a prison’s officer. Rukari says in total disregard of traffic rules, they drove dangerously at a terrific speed and in the opposite direction of the road towards Luzira Prison, putting his life in danger.

“In a dramatic fashion, at Garden City round about, ASP Mukiibi jumped out of the vehicle and stopped all the vehicles including the Prison’s bus then shifted me to the Prison bus. This is therefore, to request your good office to establish whether the said police were authorized to participate in the civil court processes in the manner described above” Rukari wrote to IGP and copied the Police Chief of Staff.

Background

Rukari was March 1, taken before Commercial section of the High Court under execution of a decree which was made and pronounced by execution miscellaneous application No77 of 2022 and by which decree it was ordered that the said should pay a decretal sum and cost 702,000,000.

Mwesigwa Rukari’s arrest and subsequent remand was due to failure to pay Shs702 million to city businessman Gerald Kalungi.

“And whereas the respondent has neither obeyed the decree nor satisfied the Court that he will not be committed. You are hereby committed the said Mwesigwa Robert into civil prison and keep him therein for a period not exceeding six months until the said decree shall be fully satisfied or the said Mwesigwa Robert shall otherwise be entitled to be released according to the provisions of Section 43 of CPA” reads the committal of respondent to civil prison.

It further continues “The Court does hereby fix Shs5,000 as allowance for the subsistence of the said Mwesigwa Robert during his confinement under this warrant of committal”

On December 30, this website exclusively revealed that Mr Mwesigwa Rukaari was having sleepless nights as several money lenders had ganged up against him demanding for repayment of loans the politician obtained from them.

Rukari’s subsequent release and payment of Shs300 million was negotiated by Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa, Amb. Adonia Ayebale among others.  

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The first reading of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill has failed to kick off over the lack of a certificate of financial implications.

Last month, Speaker of Parliament Anita Among tasked Bugiri Municipality MP Asuman Basalirwa to reintroduce the Anti-Homosexuality bill. The bill comes at a time when there are widespread cases of same-sex relationships in the community and major traditional schools.

“I want to ask religious leaders to time round be there to see who is who. We will not allow an aspect of saying there was an aspect of quorum; we are going to vote by show of hands. You are either for homosexuality or against it. We want to see the kind of leaders we have for this country,” she said last month.

During the plenary, Basalirwa said the ministry of finance has not issued him a certificate of financial implications and therefore the first reading of the bill could not go on.

“The issue of the certificate of financial implication, I think we must go on record. The front bench of government should take a stand and come out clearly. Are they willing to avail of the certificate or not?” Basalirwa asked.

He said the front bench (Ministers) should take a stand because if they don’t take a stand, then an impression would be created that all of us here are condoning homosexuality, whereas we are not.

“We are going to pass the Anti-Homosexuality Bill at whatever cost. We will pass it, and we are going to protect the values and morals of Ugandans.” Among said.

Through state minister for investment Evelyn Anite, Matia Kasaija, the Finance Minister assured MPs that the certificate of financial implications will be issued before the end of Thursday.

The Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2014 was passed by Parliament on 20 December 2013 with life in prison substituted for the death penalty. Whereas it was signed into law by President Yoweri Museveni on 24 February 2014, the Constitutional Court on 1 August 2014 annulled the law citing that it was passed without the required quorum in the House.

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