Former Karamoja Affairs State Minister Agnes Nandutu has taken her conviction over the controversial Karamoja iron sheets case to the Court of Appeal, seeking to overturn the four-year prison sentence handed to her by the Anti-Corruption Court.
Nandutu, a former Bududa District Woman MP, was convicted on April 8, 2026, after the court found her guilty of dealing with suspect property involving 2,000 pre-painted iron sheets labelled “Office of the Prime Minister,” which prosecutors linked to the Karamoja Community Empowerment Programme.
The Anti-Corruption Court, led by Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga, ruled that the prosecution had provided sufficient evidence showing that Nandutu knowingly received and kept government property that was not meant for her personal possession.
During the trial, Nandutu argued that the iron sheets were intended for people in Bududa District, but the court dismissed the claim, noting that there was no official documentation proving that the materials had been allocated to the district or any identified beneficiaries.
In her appeal filed on July 2, 2026, Nandutu insists that the trial court made errors while evaluating the evidence and interpreting the law. She is asking the Court of Appeal to set aside the conviction, cancel the sentence and remove all other orders issued against her.
Her legal team, led by Nandaah Wamukoota alongside Evans Ochieng and John Nalela, argues that the prosecution failed to prove that the iron sheets she received were connected to any criminal offence under the Anti-Corruption Act.
Nandutu has also challenged the court’s interpretation of Section 21A (1) of the Anti-Corruption Act, arguing that the provision was applied in a manner that was unclear and unfair. She further claims that there was insufficient evidence proving that the iron sheets in her possession were among those meant for the Karamoja programme.
The former minister has asked the Court of Appeal to grant her bail as she awaits the outcome of her challenge, describing the four-year sentence as excessive. The appellate court will now determine whether to uphold the earlier judgment or overturn the conviction in the high-profile case linked to the wider Karamoja iron sheets scandal.
