Iron Sheets Scandal Takes Toll on Kitutu, Nandutu in NRM Primaries

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda Updated at 1225 EAT on Monday 21 July 2025

The fallout from the Karamoja iron sheets scandal has dealt a significant blow to former Karamoja Affairs Ministers Mary Goretti Kitutu and Agnes Nandutu, both of whom suffered heavy losses in the recent National Resistance Movement (NRM) party primaries.

In Manafwa District, incumbent MP Kitutu was defeated by first-time contender Annet Musibika. Over in Bududa, Woman MP Agnes Nandutu lost by a wide margin to Agness Shiuma, who garnered 44,090 votes compared to Nandutu’s 25,097.

Their failure to secure the NRM flag marks a major political setback and highlights the enduring fallout from the 2023 iron sheets scandal, which exposed widespread misappropriation of pre-painted roofing materials intended for vulnerable communities in the Karamoja sub-region.

Once influential figures within the ruling party, Kitutu and Nandutu have since become emblematic of official misconduct.

Investigations into the scandal revealed that thousands of iron sheets—intended for vulnerable communities—were diverted and allegedly distributed among senior government officials, including ministers and Members of Parliament. Kitutu, then Minister for Karamoja Affairs, was at the center of the controversy.

Accused of being the chief architect behind the diversion scheme, Kitutu has since been charged with corruption and causing financial loss to the government. Her ongoing trial has drawn intense public scrutiny and widespread condemnation.

For a politician who once held a prominent ministerial portfolio, her failure to secure the NRM flag in her own constituency is a stark reflection of the scandal’s lasting impact on her reputation—both within the party and among the electorate.

Similarly, Agnes Nandutu, the former State Minister for Karamoja Affairs, is facing charges related to dealing in suspect property, amid allegations that she received a significant share of the diverted iron sheets.

Despite efforts to defend her actions and deflect blame, the public backlash and ongoing legal proceedings have clearly eroded her political standing.

During one of her campaign rallies in Bududa District, a video clip that quickly went viral on social media captured voters booing her and accusing her of being a “thief” of iron sheets. In response, Nandutu denied the accusation, stating, “I am not a thief—I haven’t stolen from anyone’s house.”

Wilson Watila, a former LC V chairperson for Bududa District, believes that the scandals surrounding Nandutu played a significant role in her failure to secure the NRM flag. While acknowledging that multiple factors may have contributed to the MPs’ losses, Watila pointed to the iron sheets saga as the most visible and damaging.

“The saga partly led to the failure of the MPs to secure the flag because when people speak and air out their minds in public, like they did in Bududa, it is clear that they have never forgotten what happened—and this explains how people have voted,” he said.

However, Watila also noted that the NRM primaries were plagued by irregularities, including voter bribery, rigging, and incidents of violence, which may have influenced the outcome for some candidates.

“The whole exercise was not free and fair, so even if there were other issues like the scandals, the irregularities in the elections are also partly to blame for the loss of the MPs. There is no clear measurement you can use now until the people speak loudly in the general elections,” Watila emphasized.

Andrew Nakhaboya, a journalist based in Bududa, echoed similar sentiments, suggesting that the iron sheets scandal likely contributed to Nandutu’s defeat. He noted that, unlike Kitutu in Manafwa, Nandutu took a different approach by publicly acknowledging her role in the scandal and attempting to explain her actions to the electorate—though her efforts appeared to do little to sway public opinion.

“All in all, I can say it is true that the iron sheet saga affected her, but there were irregularities in Greater Bushika Sub-county where registrars rigged in favor of the winner. Otherwise, she could have won,” Nakhaboya said.

In the lead-up to the party primaries, much of the social media discourse surrounding the candidacies of the two former ministers focused heavily on the iron sheets scandal, with many users urging voters not to return them to Parliament.

Stephen Masiga, a researcher at Makerere University’s Mbale campus and spokesperson for the Bugisu Cultural Institution, added that beyond the scandal, Nandutu’s image may have been further damaged by accusations of arrogance from within her own constituency.

According to Masiga, multiple factors contributed to the losses of several MPs in the Bugisu sub-region, including corruption scandals and failure by legislators to fulfill their duties. He identified the Karamoja iron sheets scandal as the primary reason behind the defeats of both Nandutu and Kitutu.

“For Bududa, Agnes [Nandutu] was accused of arrogance and of calling her voters poor, on top of being implicated in the Karamoja iron sheets saga. For Kitutu in Manafwa, I believe the iron sheets scandal was the main factor that damaged her public image,” Masiga explained.

For both former ministers, who once held significant influence within the NRM, failing to secure the party flag presents a major obstacle to their re-election ambitions in 2026. While they may consider running as independents, the NRM’s endorsement remains a critical advantage in Uganda’s political arena.

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