Police in Entebbe have recovered 215 pieces of iron sheets suspected to be part of the batch stolen from the Office of the Prime Minister destined for Karamoja sub region.
According to Kampala Metropolitan deputy police spokesperson, Luke Owoyesigyire, the iron sheets were recovered after a tip off from one of the locals.
“At around 10pm, the police at Entebbe through the DPC received information of a vehicle registration number UAZ 305Q Isuzu Forward at a construction site loading iron sheets. Police rushed to the scene and cordoned off the site,” Owoyeesigyire said.
He noted that today morning, a team went into the enclosed home and found 51 pieces of iron sheets being loaded onto the vehicle.
“A further search led to the recovered of 164 other iron sheets in one of the rooms in the house located in Nkumba, Katabi town council in Wakiso district to make it a total of 215 iron sheets.”
He noted that some of the iron sheets were labeled ‘Roofings prime quality Aluzine pre-painted sheet UNBS certified Guage 28 (0.32mm) CCAZ85 class 2 coil No.0125-04-01-10 ROOFINGS. MILLS LIMITED 25TH JULY 2022. For the Office of the Prime Minister.’
Owoyesigyire said according to locals, the house belongs to a person only known as Joy, but noted they have taken the water and electricity metres to help investigators get details of the owner of the premises.
He said the exhibits have been taken to Entebbe police stations as investigations into the matter continue.
The development comes on the backdrop of six people including ministers are facing charges related to theft of iron sheets meant for Karamoja sub region.
The suspects including Minister for Karamoja, Mary Goretti Kitutu, state minister for Karamoja, Agnes Nandutu and State Minister for Finance, Amos Lugoloobi are facing charges related to corruption before the Anti Corruption Court in Kampala.
The iron sheets had been bought using part of the shs39.9billion supplementary budget which was meant for disarmament and community empowerment program in Karamoja.
These were to be given out to reformed youth warriors known as Karachunas and other vulnerable groups like the elderly and women in Karamoja sub-region.
The Office of the Prime Minister had identified MM Integrated Steel Mills Uganda Limited and M/S Roofings Group to supply pre-painted iron sheets and these were marked “Office of the Prime Minister.”
Ahead of the launch of the program by President Museveni, 10,000 iron sheets were released from the OPM stores in Namanve and taken to Moroto but after the function, they were returned to Namanve from where they were shared amongst themselves by the ministers and other government officials.
