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A former Ugandan minister, Agnes Nandutu, has been sentenced to four years in prison after being found guilty of diverting relief materials meant for vulnerable communities.
The case stems from a 2022 scandal in which 14,500 iron roofing sheets intended for residents of the Karamoja region were misappropriated by senior government officials.
Nandutu, who served as state minister for Karamoja affairs, was convicted of taking 2,000 sheets for personal use.
In addition to the jail term, the court barred her from holding public office for 10 years.
Delivering the ruling, Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga said a financial penalty alone would not be sufficient, stressing the need to send a clear message that corruption carries serious consequences.
The court noted that Nandutu admitted wrongdoing and expressed remorse, which was considered in sentencing.
“A fine alone, the highest of which is a paltry 3.2 million Ugandan shillings (less than $1,000) would be inadequate”, judge Jane Okuo Kajuga wrote in the ruling.
“It is important to send (the) message that corruption does not pay and that dealing with proceeds of corruption is punishable,” she added.
Her lawyer, however, described the punishment as excessive, arguing that she had been misled and had acknowledged her actions, adding that an appeal is being considered.
Prosecutors, on their part, maintained that the sentence was appropriate, citing the gravity of the offence and the need to deter similar conduct among public officials.
Nandutu, currently a member of parliament aligned with the ruling party, was removed from her ministerial position after the allegations surfaced and had been in detention since 2023.
Uganda President Yoweri Museveni has previously assured that those implicated in the scandal would face due process.
The Karamoja region, located in northeastern Uganda, remains one of the country’s poorest areas and has long struggled with environmental and economic challenges.
