Move to censure Minister Kitutu gains momentum as Karamoja MPs write to parliament

The move to censure the Minister for Karamoja Affairs, Goretti Kitutu has gained momentum after MPs from the area wrote to parliament to formally communicate the move to present a notice of motion on the floor of the August House.

In a February, 22 letter to the Clerk of Parliament, seven MPs from Karamoja region including Ken Peter Lochap, Moses Aleper, Faith Loru Nakut, Baatom Ben Koryang, Ochero Jimbricky Noman, John Bosco Ngoya and Ilukol Philiphs Lokwang have indicated that they have started the process to have the minister censured over the saga involved misappropriation of relief items meant for their constituents.

“We the undersigned hereby give you notice for a motion to censure the Ministry for Karamoj Affairs, Mary Goretti Kitutu. We therefore wish to draw your attention to several grounds for which we seek to censure the minister,” the MPs says in their notice to parliament.

The legislators from Karamoja region say there was abuse of office or willful violation of the oath of office and mismanagement on the side of Minister Kitutu which has prompted them to move to censure him.

“The Minister for Karamoja Affairs has failed to deliver iron sheets and other supplies meant for Karamoja to support the ongoing disarmament exercise. These supplies were financed through the supplementary  budget that parliament passed in December 2021,” the  MPs say.

They argue that Kitutu diverted some of the items meant for Karamoja region to non-intended beneficiaries and thereby depriving the intended beneficiaries.

 The woes

Kitutu’s woes started when  her family members including  the mother, a brother and a nephew were  arrested by the Internal Security Organisation, Police and the State House Anti-Corruption Unit after being found in possession of government-owned iron sheets that were meant to be given to people in Karamoja as relief items.

The minister is said to have made frantic calls to plead for the mother urging that she should be pardoned due to her frail condition and old age.

She was consequently released.

Since then, several members of the public and leaders, especially from Karamoja region have asked that she resigns over abuse of office.