OMG!! How Nandutu’s Personal Assistant Led To Her Imprisonment Over Karamoja Iron Sheets

As court convenes today to deliver sentencing in the high-profile Karamoja iron sheets case, attention has sharply turned to the testimony that proved pivotal in securing the conviction of former State Minister for Karamoja Affairs, Agnes Nandutu. At the centre of that testimony is an unlikely figure—her own political assistant, Evelyn Hilda Bazibu.

Details emerging from the proceedings show that Bazibu, who appeared as Prosecution Witness 1 (PW1), played a decisive role in placing Nandutu at the heart of the scandal that has since derailed her political career and dented her public image.

Bazibu testified that in June 2022, she was informed by Nandutu that the Minister for Karamoja Affairs had given her [Nandutu] 2,000 iron sheets to be collected from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) stores in Namanve. This disclosure marked the first direct link between Nandutu and the controversial consignment.

In her testimony, Bazibu made it clear she was acting on instructions. “She was instructed to collect the iron sheets and keep them temporarily while she found a suitable place for them,” Bazibu told the court.

She said she arranged for a truck, registration number UAZ 347 B, and proceeded to collect the 2,000 iron sheets as directed. According to her account, the consignment comprised 166 bundles, each containing 12 iron sheets. Bazibu signed for the delivery, with documentation indicating Nandutu as the official recipient—an evidentiary detail that directly tied the transaction to the minister despite her absence from the store.

The testimony went further, tracing the movement of the iron sheets after collection. Bazibu told the court that she initially stored them at her home, specifically in her garage, before they were later picked up by John Watenga, identified as Nandutu’s farm manager. Prosecutors argued that this sequence demonstrated continued control by Nandutu over the materials even after they left government custody.

Bazibu also revealed that Nandutu maintained active interest in the consignment. Recounting a conversation, she testified: “One day she [Nandutu] came home, and we talked about the iron sheets. She asked if we counted them well. I said yes. She asked how I counted—I said we counted in bundles. There were 166 bundles.”

The court considered this exchange significant, noting it showed clear awareness by Nandutu of both the existence and quantity of the iron sheets.

Despite efforts by the defence to challenge inconsistencies, particularly around dates, Bazibu remained firm in her account. Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga dismissed those discrepancies as minor. “I consider the date-related contradictions minor and not impactful on the critical issue of the accused’s receipt of iron sheets,” she ruled.

The court emphasized that Bazibu’s testimony was corroborated by documentary evidence, including delivery notes and ledger records, as well as statements from OPM store officials.

Her account ultimately helped establish key elements of the prosecution’s case—that Nandutu received the iron sheets, retained control over them, and was fully aware of their handling. By directing their collection and subsequent transfer, the court found that Nandutu had “dealt with” government property unlawfully.

Taken together with other evidence, Bazibu’s testimony proved decisive—effectively sealing the case and leaving little doubt, in the court’s view, about Nandutu’s central role in the scandal.