Karamoja Affairs Minister Mary Goretti Kitutu’s lawyer has informed Inspector General of Government (IGG) Beti Kamya that the minister is unwell in the latest twist of the ongoing saga involving the minister’s connection to the 2023 iron sheets scandal. This condition, as explained by lawyer Jude Byamukama, has rendered Kitutu unable to physically attend the summons issued by Kamya.
Local press reported that Byamukama clarified the minister’s predicament to journalists who were curious about her absence. IGG spokesperson Ali Munira later confirmed the lawyer’s explanation, adding that the minister will be summoned at a later date, with the specific date to be communicated soon.
Originally scheduled for January 11, 2024, Kitutu was expected to appear before the IGG to provide information about the ongoing inquiry into supplementary funds allocated to the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM). These funds were intended to support peace-building activities in the Karamoja sub-region during the 2021/2022 financial year.
Rather than appearing in person, Kitutu sent her lawyer, Byamukama, accompanied by lawyer Rogers Katunguka, to the IGG’s office on Parliamentary Avenue in Kampala. The summons, dated December 6, 2023, was received by Kitutu on January 4, 2024, and follows a directive to the Police to search her residence in Bbunga, Kampala.
This is not the first legal entanglement for Minister Kitutu. In April of the previous year, she was arrested, arraigned before the Anti-Corruption Court, and charged with the loss of public property. The charges were related to the diversion of iron sheets intended for distribution to vulnerable individuals in the Karamoja sub-region. Kitutu’s brother, Michael Naboya Kitutu, and personal assistant Joshua Abaho were also implicated in the case. Naboya faces accusations of receiving stolen property, while Abaho is confronting charges of corruption.
