Iron sheet saga: Kayunga leaders call for 'fairness'

IRON SHEETS | LEADERS | FAIRNESS

KAYUNGA - Religious and political leaders in Kayunga district have demanded the collective prosecution of all government officials who were beneficiaries of relief iron sheets that were meant to be distributed to vulnerable families in Karamoja region.

The call follows the arrest of planning state minister Amos Lugoloobi by Police on Friday evening. 

The religious leaders in the area, together with political leaders, have welcomed the action taken to fight corruption but expressed concern over what they have termed as the selective prosecution against government officials involved in the Karamoja iron sheets saga.  

Regional Khadi for greater Mukono Sheikh Abdul Noor Kakande said the misappropriation of the Karamoja iron sheets was not only a shame to the ministers who benefitted but also to the whole ruling government.

"All beneficiaries of the Karamoja iron sheets saga in government including the Vice-President, Prime Minister, Speaker of Parliament and other senior ministers were involved in the iron sheets scandal. Therefore, they should equally be arrested and prosecuted in courts of law," he said during an interview with New Vision on Saturday. 

Kakande added that since most of the beneficiaries have publicly admitted to receiving the iron sheets and regretted the mistake, they should all be pardoned rather than prosecuting some and leaving out others. He argues that this will create more questions for the Government in its efforts of fighting corruption. 

Bishop Anselmo Kaliisa of the Power Evangelical Church in Kayunga town said the beneficiaries of the Karamoja iron sheets received them from those who were responsible for distributing them and those are the right people to be prosecuted for using their mandate illegally. 

"Those who received the iron sheets have no problem because it is satanic for someone to reject anything given to them in good faith. Therefore, the givers of the iron sheets should be the ones to be prosecuted not the receivers," Kaliisa said.

Kayunga district chairperson Andrew Muwonge said it was clear that Lugoloobi did not steal the iron sheets but instead, they were given to him from the Office of the Prime Minister just like other government officials who received the iron sheets meant for people in Karamoja.

"As leaders, we wouldn't like to shield criminals, especially when they are fellow leaders, but it's good to apply the law without discrimination," Muwonge said.

Happy about arrest

Meanwhile, former Kayunga district chairperson Sseguya Muddwawulira said he was happy about Lugoloobi's arrest and that as people in the Opposition, they have been lamenting about their colleagues who are rotting in prison for no reason but people in government were turning deaf ears.