The United States’ (US) Department of State has sanctioned five Ugandan officials including Speaker of Parliament Anita Among and Minister of State for Finance and Planning Amos Lugoloobi “due to their involvement in significant corruption.”
Others include former ministers Mary Kitutu and Agnes Nandutu, as well as former Deputy Chief of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) Lt. Gen. Peter Elwelu.While the politicians have been sanctioned for corruption, Lt. Gen. Elwelu was sanctioned “due to his involvement in gross violations of human rights.”In April, the United Kingdom (UK) also sanctioned Among, Kitutu and Nandutu.
“All four officials abused their public positions for their personal benefit at the expense of Ugandans,” the US Department of State said in a statement on 30th May. It added Lt. Gen. Elwelu had “while commanding UPDF forces, in extrajudicial killings that were committed by members of the UPDF.” The designations mean that the individuals are ineligible for entry into the United States.
The Mabati Scandal
The sanctions against the politicians are the latest in a long-running saga involving the theft of iron sheets meant for low-cost housing in the Karamoja region. The corruption scandal involves dozens of high ranking officials, including the Vice President, the Prime Minister, and the First Deputy Prime Minister. Some of them have since been arrested and charged in court.
The saga dates back to a budget allocation of UGX 39bn (KShs 1.329bn) to buy more than 90, 000 pieces of iron sheets for the troubled Karamoja sub-region. The iron sheets were instead diverted to ministers who used them for a range of things, including donating them in their constituencies or using them for personal projects.
The new sanctions are likely to pile pressure on Speaker Among, an accountant, lawyer and politician who has served as the legislature’s speaker since 2022. Just a day before the US announced sanctions, President Museveni had written to the speaker to confirm whether she owns a house in the UK.
“Speaker Anita Among owns no property in the UK,” Parliament’s Director of communication said on X, “We would be glad to see the land title of the alleged property.”
In Uganda’s cabinet of 32 ministers and 50 ministers of state, Min. Lugoloobi is one of four ministers of state in the Finance portfolio, which has five ministers in total.