US Imposes Sanctions on Five Senior Gov’t Officials Over Corruption and Human Rights Abuses

On Thursday, June 30, 2024, the United States imposed sanctions on five senior Ugandan officials due to allegations of corruption and human rights abuses.

Among those sanctioned is the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, who, along with three other officials, faces travel bans for “significant corruption,” following similar action by Britain last month.

Mary Goretti Kitutu and Agnes Nandutu, both former ministers responsible for Karamoja affairs, and Amos Lugolobi, the state minister for finance, were also named. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller stated that these three officials had “misused public resources and diverted materials from Uganda’s neediest communities.”

“All four officials abused their public positions for their personal benefit at the expense of Ugandans,” Miller added.

Additionally, Peter Elwelu, the former deputy chief of the Ugandan Peoples’ Defense Forces (UPDF), has been sanctioned for his involvement in “gross violations of human rights,” according to Miller. Elwelu, while commanding defense forces, was implicated in extrajudicial killings committed by UPDF members, although further details were not provided.

“As a result of these actions, the designated Ugandan officials are generally ineligible for entry into the United States,” Miller said.

Washington is also planning to impose visa restrictions on multiple other Ugandan officials for “undermining the democratic process and repressing members of marginalized or vulnerable populations in Uganda.”

In April, the British government imposed travel bans and asset freezes on Among, Kitutu, and Nandutu over claims of corruption.