The Anti-Corruption Court has dropped all charges against State Minister, Amos Lugoloobi, after the DPP entered a nolle prosequi, ending his two-year trial over the Karamoja iron sheets fiasco. Justice Jane Kajuga declared him a free man and ordered the refund of his bail money and securities.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lugoloobi was accused together with other high ranking government officials of receiving iron sheets meant for vulnerable communities in Karamoja and allegedly using them to roof an animal shed at his farm in Kayunga District. The iron sheets were reportedly obtained in two phases between July 2022 and March 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lugoloobi has been on trial after the court found he had a case to answer. Several prosecution witnesses, including a Church Reverend, testified against him. But on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, when the case came up for the defence to present additional witnesses, the DPP formally withdrew the case before Lady Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga, the Acting Principal Judge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
State Attorney Gloria Inzikuru tendered the nolle prosequi dated November 7, 2025, indicating that the DPP had lost interest in pursuing the matter. Under Article 120 of the Constitution, the DPP has the power to discontinue any criminal proceedings at any stage before judgment. Consequently, Justice Kajuga discharged Lugoloobi, noting that there was no longer a case before the court unless he was held on other charges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Throughout the trial, Minister Lugoloobi, represented by lawyer John Isabirye, maintained his innocence, describing the prosecution as selective and unfair. He argued that while the scandal had implicated many high-ranking officials, only three ministers, himself, Agnes Nandutu, and Mary Goretti Kitutu, were taken to court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lugoloobi insisted that he received the iron sheets in his capacity as an MP and minister, following established government procedures for affirmative action programs under the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said his constituency, Ntenjeru North in Kayunga District, lies within the Luwero Triangle, an area eligible for affirmative action support similar to that extended to Karamoja, Teso, and Northern Uganda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s normal practice for the OPM to channel support to MPs, like beans, flour, and iron sheets, especially when communities are affected by disasters or under affirmative action programs,\u201d Lugoloobi said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He explained that his political assistant, Allan Damulira, coordinated the collection and storage of the iron sheets in Nansana after his aide, Hawa Bawaya, informed him about the allocation from the OPM\u2019s Luwero-Rwenzori Program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lugoloobi denied any knowledge that the materials were meant for Karamoja, claiming the prosecution\u2019s evidence did not specify their intended beneficiaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When President Yoweri Museveni later directed all recipients to return the iron sheets, Lugoloobi said he complied, replacing the sheets with new ones purchased at his own cost and returning them to the OPM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll the people I mentioned confessed publicly that they had received iron sheets. The media was awash with their stories, but they were never charged,\u201d he told the court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Karamoja Iron Sheets Scandal erupted in 2023 after it emerged that relief items meant for vulnerable communities in the region had been diverted to senior government officials. Alongside Lugoloobi, Karamoja Affairs Minister Mary Goretti Kitutu and State Minister Agnes Nandutu were also charged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nandutu\u2019s case is expected to resume in December 2025, while Kitutu\u2019s trial has been delayed following allegations that she was tortured while in custody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In June 2023, DPP Jane Frances Abodo revealed that out of 40 related investigations, only three cases proceeded to court. Seventeen files were closed for lack of evidence, while several others stalled after findings showed that some politicians had been misled by their assistants and were unaware of the true source or intended beneficiaries of the iron sheets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With Tuesday\u2019s withdrawal, Minister Lugoloobi walks free, marking a major turn in one of Uganda\u2019s most publicised corruption scandals in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Editor:msserwanga@gmail.com<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Anti-Corruption Court has dropped all charges against State Minister, Amos Lugoloobi, after the DPP entered a nolle prosequi, ending<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15945,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[65],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15944","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/download-5.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8767,"url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/another-minister-lugoloobi-denied-bail-in-mabaati-scandal-sent-to-luzira-prison\/","url_meta":{"origin":15944,"position":0},"title":"Another Minister Lugoloobi denied bail in Mabaati scandal sent to Luzira prison","author":"UgandaUpdate","date":"April 17, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"By Our Court Reporters \u00a0Amos Lugoloobi ,Minister of State for Finance and Planning \u00a0has been\u00a0denied bail by the Anti Corruption Court sitting in Kampala and remanded to Luzira Prison until Thursday April 20. Lugoloobi who was arrested on Friday evening for receiving iron sheets meant for the vulnerable communities in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Accountability"","block_context":{"text":"Accountability","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/category\/accountability\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Capture.png","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Capture.png 1x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Capture.png 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9301,"url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/karamoja-iron-sheets-theft-odpp-clears-17-top-govt-officials-ministers\/","url_meta":{"origin":15944,"position":1},"title":"Karamoja Iron sheets theft: ODPP clears 17 top govt officials, ministers","author":"UgandaUpdate","date":"June 25, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"By Our Reporters In an unexpected twist of events , the Office of Director Of Public Prosecutions has now come out to state that after investigations there is no sufficient evidence to prove a criminal case against 17 government top officials including ministers that were implicated in the Karamoja mbaati\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Crime"","block_context":{"text":"Crime","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/category\/crime\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/R.jpeg","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/R.jpeg 1x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/R.jpeg 1.5x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/R.jpeg 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9213,"url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/minister-kitutu-and-co-accuseds-committal-to-the-high-court-for-trial-deferred\/","url_meta":{"origin":15944,"position":2},"title":"Minister Kitutu and co-accused’s committal to the High Court for trial deferred","author":"UgandaUpdate","date":"June 15, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The Chief Magistrate At the Anti Corruption Court, Joan Aciro has deferred the committal proceedings for the Karamoja Minister Mary Gorreti Kitutu to be tried in the High Court until a ruling is made in another matter challenging the territorial jurisdiction to try her in Kampala instead of Namisindwa district\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Justice"","block_context":{"text":"Justice","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/category\/justice\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":8675,"url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/karamoja-minister-kitutu-remanded-to-luzira-prison\/","url_meta":{"origin":15944,"position":3},"title":"Karamoja Minister Kitutu Remanded to Luzira Prison","author":"UgandaUpdate","date":"April 6, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"By Our Reporter Embattled \u00a0Karamoja Affairs\u00a0 Minister Dr .Mary Gorreti Kitutu has been produced in the Anti- Corruption Court and charged for causing loss of public property among other charges and she has been remanded to Luzira maximum prison until \u00a0April 12 when her bail application shall be heard .\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "National News"","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/category\/national-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/7236871a-14d2-4a03-8183-8e9381176c09.jpg","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/7236871a-14d2-4a03-8183-8e9381176c09.jpg 1x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/7236871a-14d2-4a03-8183-8e9381176c09.jpg 1.5x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/7236871a-14d2-4a03-8183-8e9381176c09.jpg 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8304,"url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/karamoja-iron-sheets-bonanza-pm-nabbanja-explains-list-of-other-cabinet-ministers-who-signed-for-the-relief-items\/","url_meta":{"origin":15944,"position":4},"title":"KARAMOJA IRON SHEETS BONANZA: PM NABBANJA EXPLAINS LIST OF OTHER CABINET MINISTERS WHO SIGNED FOR THE RELIEF ITEMS","author":"UgandaUpdate","date":"February 20, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"BY Our Reporters As the country gets to terms about the recent scandal of government officials diverting relief items for vulnerable communities in Karamoja region- the Prime Minister \u00a0Robinah Nabbanja has come out and stated that the Office of Prime Minister is cooperating with all agencies involved in the investigations.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Accountability"","block_context":{"text":"Accountability","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/category\/accountability\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Nabbanja.jpeg","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Nabbanja.jpeg 1x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Nabbanja.jpeg 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8792,"url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/legal-experts-explain-why-state-minister-for-karamoja-agnes-nandutu-was-committed-to-high-court-unlike-other-suspects-before-her\/","url_meta":{"origin":15944,"position":5},"title":"Legal experts explain why State Minister for Karamoja Agnes Nandutu was committed to High Court unlike other suspects before her","author":"UgandaUpdate","date":"April 20, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"By Our Court Reporters The general public has been buzzing with speculation following the committal of State Minister for Karamoja Affairs, Ms Agnes Nandutu to the High Court for trial. Many had expected the \u00a0Anti-Corruption \u00a0Magistrate Court in Kololo, to hear Nandutu\u2019s bail application yesterday just like her colleagues before\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "National News"","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/category\/national-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/latest12pix-data.jpg","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/latest12pix-data.jpg 1x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/latest12pix-data.jpg 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pc0aOV-49a","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15944","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15944"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15944\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15946,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15944\/revisions\/15946"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15945"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15944"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15944"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15944"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}