The United Kingdom has imposed sanctions on three government officials Anita Among, the Speaker of Parliament, and former Ministers Gorreti Kitutu and Agnes Nandutu amid allegations of corruption involving iron sheets intended for impoverished communities in Karamoja.
The UK government has accused these officials of diverting aid intended for those in need and using it for personal gain.
The UK’s Deputy Foreign Secretary, Andrew Mitchell, said that such actions of corruption have no place in society and that the UK is committed to cracking down on serious corruption worldwide.
“The actions of these individuals, in taking aid from those who need it most, and keeping the proceeds, is corruption at its worst and has no place in society. The Ugandan courts are rightly taking action to crack down on those politicians who seek to line their own pockets at their constituents’ expense,” he said.
This marks the first instance of the UK applying sanctions under its Global Anti-Corruption regime against individuals involved in corruption in Uganda. The sanctions include freezing assets and prohibiting transactions with designated individuals.
Parliament’s spokesperson, Chris Obore, suggested that the sanctions against Among could be linked to her support for the Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2023.
“The truth is in fact the iron sheets were distributed to public schools, and Andrew Mitchell who was vocal in condemning Rt. Hon Among for enacting the Anti-Homosexuality Act did not in his statement indicate how exactly Rt. Hon Speaker derived personal benefit from them” said Obore.
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