Uganda’s Anti-Corruption Court has directed Mulago National Referral Hospital to conduct an independent medical examination of former Minister for Karamoja Affairs, Agnes Nandutu, following her refusal to begin her defence in court on medical grounds.
The order was issued by Lady Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga on Monday after Nandutu told the court she was unwell and unable to proceed with her defence. She requested a private meeting with the judge, citing the personal nature of her illness and saying she could not discuss it “with men watching.”
Nandutu, who arrived in court from home, had earlier been granted additional time to prepare for a 1:00 PM hearing. But when proceedings resumed, her legal team, led by Nandah Wamukota, said she was still unfit to continue.
“Your Lordship, the accused would prefer to address you directly about her condition,” Wamukota said.
Nandutu was then allowed to speak. “My medical condition is not like malaria or a common illness. When I ignore medical advice, it can be fatal,” she said. “I want to show you in private, my Lord, as a fellow woman. I can’t say this in public with men present. But I’m unwell.”
Justice Kajuga declined the request for a private meeting, instead ordering an impartial medical assessment to determine if Nandutu is fit to stand trial. She noted a prior report from Nakasero Hospital had found Nandutu in generally good health, though not fit for stressful conditions. A fresh report is to be filed within two weeks.
The judge criticised the defence’s handling of the case, suggesting attempts had been made to delay proceedings. “I regret to say the conduct of the defence can do better,” she said, adding that allegations had been made without documentation. “Unfortunately when I stamp hard, it affects the accused person,” she added.
Both prosecution and defence were ordered to cooperate to ensure the medical assessment is completed. State Attorney David Bisamunyu confirmed that the prosecution had previously written to Nandutu’s private doctors but required a court order for Mulago Hospital to proceed.
The trial was adjourned to 5 May 2025.
Nandutu faces charges of dealing in suspect government property. She is accused of unlawfully receiving 2,000 pre-painted iron sheets between June and July 2022. Prosecutors claim she personally received the items and later led police to her residence, where most of the iron sheets were recovered.
A 2024 court ruling found Nandutu had a case to answer.
The prosecution’s case has relied heavily on the testimony of Joshua Abaho, personal assistant to then-Minister Mary Gorreti Kitutu, who said he was instructed to hand iron sheets to Nandutu. While other witnesses struggled to verify the origin of the materials, Abaho’s role in their distribution was deemed credible.
Justice Kajuga said the defence’s assertion—that Nandutu had no knowledge of the sheets’ origin—was undermined by evidence showing she attended the official launch of the distribution project. The judge also noted there had been no requisition or emergency that would justify her receiving the materials.
The defence has maintained that the evidence is inconsistent and does not support a conviction. But the court ruled that, even without recovering all the iron sheets from Nandutu’s home, the remaining evidence was sufficient to proceed.
Detective Superintendent of Police Winfred Nakatudde testified that 1,617 sheets were found at Nandutu’s farm in Mukono. A further 383 were unaccounted for.
“When we asked the farm manager, he said he didn’t know where the rest were because he hadn’t counted them,” Nakatudde told the court.
The case is part of a broader scandal that has implicated multiple ministers. State Minister for Economic Planning Amos Lugoloobi is due back in court in May, while former Minister Mary Gorreti Kitutu’s trial is on hold pending an appeal over alleged torture in custody.
The Inspectorate of Government has accused Kitutu of failing to carry out peacebuilding activities in Karamoja, resulting in a Shs1.5 billion financial loss. Nandutu becomes the second minister formally required to answer charges over the scandal.
