Govt Chief Whip Obua requests public to stop judging ministers in iron sheets saga

By Francis Lubega

24^th March 2023

The Government Chief Whip Hamson Dennis Obua has pleaded to Ugandans to desist from badly judging Ministers listed in the Karamoja iron sheets saga.

While meeting journalists under the Uganda Parliamentary Press Association at parliament on Friday, Obua said that it is wrong for the public to victimize the Ministers yet they received the iron sheets as donations from the Office of the Prime Minister.

Obua who is also among the beneficiaries of these iron sheets noted that judgments shouldn’t be thrown against them until the Police Criminal Investigation Directorate and the State House Anti Corruption Unit conclude with their investigations.

This very week, Cabinet ministers fingered in the Karamoja iron sheets scandal submitted their defense to the Inspectorate of Government as the office commences investigations.

A number of top government ministers and officials have admitted to irregularly benefiting from the iron sheets meant for vulnerable households in the Karamoja sub-region in northern Uganda.

Key on the list of beneficiaries includes; Vice President Jessica Alupo, Speaker of Parliament Anita Among, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, First Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca Kadaga, Karamoja Affairs Minister Goretti Kitutu, Third Deputy Premier Rukia Nakadama, Finance Minister Matia Kasaija and the State Minister for Primary Education Moriku Kaducu.

The others are Finance State Minister Amos Lugoloobi, Government Chief Whip, Hamson Obua, Junior Minister for Agriculture Fred Bwino Kyakulaga, Karamoja State Affairs Minister Agnes Nandutu, and Central Youth MP Agnes Kirabo among others.

Several Ministers and Speaker Among have repeatedly publicly defended themselves, saying that they never sought the iron sheets but only got calls from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) asking them to pick their share.

Among, has since returned the 500 iron sheets, saying that she didn’t know that they were meant for poor people in Karamoja.

Meanwhile, Obua also expressed the need for a fresh debate to downsize parliament if there are concerns of Ugandans thinking that the current parliament is too big and submit them to the constitutional review commission.

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