Former State Minister for Karamoja Affairs, Agnes Nandutu, has concluded her defence testimony in the Anti-Corruption Court, where she faces charges related to possession of 2,000 iron sheets meant for vulnerable communities in the Karamoja sub-region.
Appearing before Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga on Monday, Nandutu insisted she had no involvement in requesting, preparing, or distributing the iron sheets from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM).
She placed responsibility on other officials to explain how the items ended up in the hands of ministers and MPs.
“I was never involved in the requisition, preparation, or distribution of these iron sheets,” Nandutu told the court.
She named individuals she believes can clarify the matter, including her former senior minister Mary Goretti Kitutu, Kitutu’s assistant Joshua Abaho, and then undersecretary Geoffrey Seremba.
Since last month, the Bududa District Woman MP has been giving unsworn testimony, stating that although she never requested the iron sheets, she accepted the 2,000 pieces allocated to her believing they were intended to aid landslide victims in her constituency.
“I took them mainly to help my people in Bududa who were affected by landslides. That was my only intention,” Nandutu said.
Prosecutors allege the iron sheets were meant for poor households in Karamoja—her former ministerial docket—and that she was found in possession of them without proper authorisation.
The case forms part of a broader scandal in which relief items from the OPM were allegedly diverted to high-ranking government officials instead of the intended vulnerable communities.
Throughout her testimony, Nandutu distanced herself from the procurement process, emphasising she had no authority over OPM stores.
“I had no access to the OPM stores nor did I direct anyone to deliver the iron sheets to me. These matters were handled at a higher level in the ministry,” she testified.
Looking ahead, Nandutu said she will call more than five witnesses to support her defence.
“I will bring more than five witnesses to court to testify in my defence,” she told Justice Kajuga, adding that they will corroborate her claim that she neither initiated nor approved the distribution of the iron sheets.
The court has ordered her witnesses to begin testifying this Friday.
The trial is part of ongoing investigations into the alleged diversion of iron sheets procured under the Karamoja Community Empowerment Programme.
Other high-profile figures charged in related cases include former Minister for Karamoja Affairs Mary Goretti Kitutu and Minister of State for Finance Amos Lugoloobi.