In an unprecedented move, the United Kingdom (UK) has banned Uganda's Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, and former Karamoja Affairs ministers Goretti Kitutu and Agness Nandutu from visiting or living in the UK. This action is accompanied by freezing any finances and assets the individuals may have in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, or any overseas British territory.
The UK Deputy Foreign Minister, Andrew Mitchell, announced the penalties, marking the first time London has applied its Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions to Ugandan officials. Mitchell stated that the sanctions are targeted at individuals involved in corruption in Uganda. He emphasized that corruption, especially when it involves taking aid from those who need it most, is unacceptable.
The sanctions come in the wake of allegations regarding the misappropriation of more than 10,000 iron sheets that the Ugandan government had procured for vulnerable communities in Karamoja. Dr. Kitutu and Ms. Nandutu, along with others, were indicted in August 2023 for loss of public property and conspiracy to defraud. President Museveni dropped them from the Cabinet in March.
The iron sheets were meant to be used as an incentive to attract warriors in Karamoja away from gun violence. However, it is alleged that line ministers under the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) diverted thousands of these roofing materials for personal use and donated others to high-ranking officials, including ministers and Members of Parliament.
Speaker Anita Among was also implicated, but Uganda's Director of Public Prosecution, Ms. Jane Frances Abodo, announced that her office had dropped the cases against Among and a dozen others, despite evidence that they had received the iron sheets. Among replaced the iron sheets she received, either in kind or with cash, which her aides delivered to the OPM stores in Namanve, outside Kampala, in April 2023.
Responding to the sanctions, Parliament's spokesperson, Chris Obore, criticized the UK government for what he termed as interference in Uganda's internal affairs. He argued that Uganda has its regulatory, investigatory, and disciplinary institutions to deal with corruption allegations. Obore claimed that the corruption allegations were politically motivated and pointed out that none of the accused had been found guilty by Ugandan authorities.
The UK's decision to impose sanctions on Ugandan officials has sparked controversy, with some seeing it as a form of retaliation for Uganda's enactment of the Anti-Homosexuality Act in May 2023. The legislation imposes severe punishments for gays and lesbians, including the death penalty.
This move by the UK comes as part of its efforts to combat corruption globally. Over the past three years, under the Sanctions Act, the UK has punished 42 individuals and entities involved in serious corruption in various countries, including South Sudan, South Africa, Russia, Venezuela, Lebanon, Moldova, and Bulgaria.
Despite the sanctions, Speaker Among, presiding over a Parliament sitting, made no public statement. Former ministers Kitutu and Nandutu refrained from commenting on the sanctions, citing their ongoing prosecution. The Ugandan government has reiterated its stance on respecting its sovereignty and urged foreign partners to refrain from meddling in its internal affairs.
