Former minister Nandutu to spend 4 years in prison

Former State Minister for Karamoja Affairs Agnes Nandutu has been sentenced to four years in prison after the Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court found her guilty over the diversion of 2,000 iron sheets meant for vulnerable communities in Karamoja. 

The court also barred her from holding public office for 10 years. The sentence was delivered on Friday, April 10, 2026 by Justice Jane Kajuga.

The judge ruled that time she spent on remand will be deducted from the jail term. 

The sentence followed Nandutu’s emotional plea for leniency earlier in the day. 

She told court that she is a single mother with school-going children and the only breadwinner for her family, including orphans from her siblings and her elderly mother, whom she said is about 80 and unwell.

 She also described herself as a first-time offender and asked court to consider a non-custodial sentence, saying she has been in and out of hospital and that her health remains poor.

Nandutu also told court that she cooperated with authorities and returned the iron sheets after learning they were meant for the people of Karamoja. In her plea, she said she willingly told police that she had the sheets and handed them back. 

She argued that she had been misled into the offence and appealed to the court to show mercy.

Her conviction stems from a scandal that has drawn public anger for nearly three years. Court heard that between June and July 2022, Nandutu received and retained 2,000 pre-painted iron sheets marked for the Office of the Prime Minister, knowing or having reason to believe they had been irregularly obtained from a government programme intended for Karamoja.

She was convicted on Wednesday, April 8, 2026 and remanded to Luzira ahead of sentencing. 

Before sentencing, Nandutu had faced a possible maximum punishment of seven years in prison and a fine of Shs3.2 million.