By Aggrey Baba
Finance State Minister Amos Lugoloobi has finally walked free after the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) dropped all charges against him in the famous Karamoja iron sheets scandal, a case that once shook the government and angered millions of Ugandans.
The DPP’s decision comes at a time when the United States and United Kingdom had imposed sanctions on several Ugandan officials, including Speaker Anita Among, for what they called serious corruption in the same affair.
For many Ugandans, this feels like another of those stories where the powerful walk away clean while the poor continue to suffer quietly. Lugoloobi’s troubles began when iron sheets marked “Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Karamoja Community Empowerment Programme” were discovered roofing a goat shed on his farm in Kayunga District. The sheets were meant for the most vulnerable families in Karamoja.
When pictures of the goat shed leaked, Ugandans went wild on social media. The minister hurriedly pulled down the structure, returned the sheets, and apologised, saying he had not known they were meant only for Karamoja because the papers that came with them didn’t specify that, making itbclear, that he didn’t know he had stolen the mabati.
The case, following months of court hearings at the Anti-Corruption Court, had reached the defence stage. The DPP, has now quietly dropped the charges. No clear reason was given, a move which has left the public shocked, though to seasoned political watchers, it was hardly surprising.
For now, Lugoloobi is a free man, his name cleared in court, but on the streets as many believe justice has only been swept under the carpet.
The Karamoja mabati scandal began in early 2023 when it was discovered that relief materials meant for the poorest communities in Karamoja were being distributed to ministers, MPs, and other government officials far from the region. The mabati were part of a government programme aimed at helping vulnerable households build homes, but instead, the sheets found their way to farms, storerooms, and even urban construction sites belonging to the powerful.
When the story broke, three cabinet ministers were charged, including Mary Goretti Kitutu, the (then) Minister for Karamoja Affairs, her deputy Agnes Nandutu, and Amos Lugoloobi. Kitutu was accused of causing loss of public property, Nandutu of dealing in stolen materials, and Lugoloobi of receiving and using iron sheets unlawfully.
While Kitutu and Nandutu’s trials are still ongoing, Lugoloobi’s file has been closed, leaving many wondering who else will soon be forgiven.
Even as Uganda quietly closes files, the outside world has been moving in the opposite direction. In April 2024, the UK government announced travel bans and asset freezes on Speaker Anita Among, Kitutu, and Nandutu, accusing them of serious corruption involving the theft of mabati meant for poor Karamojong families. A month later, the United States followed with its own sanctions, adding Lugoloobi to the list. America said the move was meant to punish leaders who misuse public office for personal benefit.
Among dismissed the sanctions as politically motivated, while the Ugandan government protested, calling the measures an attack on national sovereignty.
Back home, the DPP’s decision has once again ignited anger and disappointment among ordinary Ugandans. To many, it is another reminder that in Uganda, corruption is like a stubborn weed, where no matter how often it is cut, it keeps growing back.
Many say the scandal continues to harm Uganda’s image and weaken public confidence in institutions that are meant to protect taxpayers’ money. To the common citizen, the mabati saga remains a painful sign that the powerful can always bend justice their way.
Even though the minister is now a free man, the Karamoja iron sheets scandal still hangs over government like a dark cloud that refuses to clear. The DPP may have closed one chapter, but the story of corruption in high offices remains alive. Like rust that eats away metal, the scandal continues to eat away at public trust.
The mabati may have been meant for Karamoja, but their long journey, from the dusty plains of the northeast to the lush farms of the powerful, tells a bitter truth, that in Uganda’s politics, even iron can melt when power gets hot.
