Court has dismissed an application in which embattled Karamoja affairs minister Mary Goretti Kitutu sought to block her prosecution in a shillings 1.5 billion mismanagement case at the Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala.

Kitutu, who is also the Manafwa district Woman Member of Parliament, is accused of causing shillings 1.5 billion loss to the Government after allegedly failing to conduct various peace-building activities in Karamoja region.

The Anti-Corruption Court presided over by Jane Okuo Kajuga on Monday, February 19, 2024, dismissed Kitutu’s bid, on grounds that there is no connection between the acts that constitute the transactions in the alleged diversion of iron sheets and the peace-building activities.

She observed that the iron sheets case emanates from transactions that occurred between June 2022 and January 2023, while the second case transactions occurred between February and June 2022.  

“It has not been established how the prosecution in the iron sheets case will impede the applicant’s rights in the shillings 1.5 billion mismanagement case, especially in light of the finding that the offences in the two cases were not committed in the course of the same transaction and are quite different,” Kajuga noted.

Kitutu’s charges

Kitutu is battling the shillings 1.5 billion mismanagement fresh charges together with the interdicted Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) undersecretary finance and administration Geoffrey Sseremba, under-secretary pacification and development programme Deogratius Masagazi and accountant Tracy Atuhirwe.

Her co-accused are battling charges of corruption, contrary to section 2 (h) and 26 of the same Act. The offence of causing financial loss attracts a maximum sentence of 14-year-imprisonment, upon conviction while corruption elicits 10-year jail term.

Prosecution alleges that Kitutu, between February and June, 2022 while performing her duties as minister for Karamoja affairs, failed to conduct various peace-building activities in Karamoja knowing or having reason to believe that her omission would cause financial loss of shillings 1.5 billion to the Government.

Kitutu’s other offences

The new charge slapped against Kitutu comes at a time when she is still battling charges of loss of public property in connection to diversion of iron sheets meant for Karamoja.

She is facing trial at the Anti-Corruption Court together with her brother, Michael Naboya Kitutu and personal assistant Joshua Abaho. Naboya is accused of receiving stolen property while Abaho is facing charges of corruption.

Prosecution alleges that Kitutu between the months of June 2022 and January 2023 at the OPM stores in Namanve, caused the loss of public property in the form of 9,000 pre-painted iron sheets gauge 28.

She is also accused of diverting 5,500 pre-painted iron sheets of gauge 28, from the intended purpose of benefitting the KCEP to her own benefit and to the benefit of third parties having reason to believe that such act would result into loss of the said public property.