Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has said she supports investigations into individual officials who received iron sheets from her office and used them for personal gain.
Such persons however, she said, should be differentiated from others such as herself who ensured that the iron sheets reached their intended beneficiaries.
“This iron sheets noise needs to stop,” Nabbanja said on Saturday. “If someone took the iron sheets and sold them, that is different; they should be investigated and the law should take its course.”
The Premier was speaking at the inauguration of Sheikh Ramadhan Swaibu Mulindwa, the new district Kadhi of Luwero at UMEA Playground in Luwero district.
Nabbanja, who spoke at length on the subject which has dominated public discourse recently, said calls for her resignation and prosecution have been “fueled by politics,” adding that she couldn’t not have stolen from her own office.
“That Office of the Prime Minister belongs to Nabbanja. I cannot therefore rob myself,” she said.
“Of course, this whole situation has some other politics around it; it is intended to make Nabbanja look bad.”
Sheikh Ramadhan Swaibu Mulindwa, being sworn in as the new district Kadhi of Luwero
The Office of the Prime Minister and several Cabinet Ministers are currently under investigation over the misuse of iron sheets which were procured with a Shs 39billion supplementary to help resettle residents of Karamoja who voluntarily surrendered their guns to government.
An investigation by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit found that some of the iron sheets were sent out to cabinet ministers from other regions, some of whom put the sheets to personal use.
Hon Nabbanja explained yesterday that only about 20,000 out of 100,000 iron sheets were diverted from the Karamoja lot, and that majority of these were indeed handed out to communities which needed them in other sub regions.
She noted for instance that she personally sent 200 iron sheets to Luwero district to support Kiberenge and Kyampologoma Primary Schools.
“Your woman MP came to me and asked for 200 iron sheets and you received them. Now do I get votes from Luwero?” she queried.
Currently, Nabbanja said up to 81,400 iron sheets meant for Karamoja are still in store waiting to be dispatched., including those which were return by speaker of Parliament Hon Anita Among.
“Also, in the stores we have 2780 iron sheets for Teso and 1400 for disaster preparedness,” she said.
