Is Troubled Ex Minister Nandutu Quitting NRM After The Reshuffle!! Nandutu Sends Emotional Message To Museveni, Blocked Outside Her Office

The outgoing Minister of State for Karamoja Affairs Agnes Nandutu has today thanked President Museveni for trusting her with the position for two and a half years.The call came hours after the President made a mini cabinet reshuffle that saw the position taken up by Florence Namboozo Wamala, who is the Woman MP for Sironko district.

Nandutu, who is the Woman MP for Bududa says she will continue to serve in parliament as a backbencher.Addressing journalist at Parliament, Nandutu asked for pardon from President Museveni and pledged to support the NRM manifesto from the backbench.

On the earlier events at OPM, she told our reporter that she had not informed security of the scheduled presser and that is why they acted in that manner.Nandutu lost her office as state minister for Karamoja together with her former senior Mary Gorreti Kitutu.

Blocked From Office

Former State minister for Karamoja Agnes Nandutu has been barred from addressing journalists at Office of the Prime Minister.But not to be defeated, Nandutu, who is also the Bududa District Woman MP, ran to Parliament.Nandutu, a former journalist, had scheduled a news briefing at OPM for 11am following the Cabinet Reshuffle on Thursday evening.

Nandutu, who is facing corruption and abuse of office-related charges over her involvement in the theft of iron sheets for Karimojong, was replaced in Cabinet with Florence Nambozo Wamala.”Nandutu is no longer a minister,” security at the Twin Towers (OPM office) told journalists who insisted they had a scheduled news briefing.

Security attached to Twin Towers that is manned by Special Forces Command soldiers was not allowing anyone who identified as a journalist beyond the checkpoint.Journalists waited for close to two hours before Nandutu’s official vehicle was driven in. But there was no sign of the former minister as it appears she had been warned off the OPM premises if she wanted to speak to the media.

Meanwhile, Geoffrey Kayemba Ssolo says Museveni’s cabinet reshuffle of maintaining some Karamoja Iron sheet culprits directly indicates that the NRM regime has no political will to fight corruption.

In yesterday’s Min-Cabinet reshuffle, Museveni only dropped Agnes Nadutu and Mary Goretii Kitutu who has been minister for Karamoja Affairs, and maintained others like vice president Jessica Alupo, Ministers of Finance including Matia Kasaijja, Amosi Lugolobi who were also in the same saga.

However, Soi County MP Abdi Fadhil Chemeswet says the new cabinet is a hope and an indication that the Patriotic League of Uganda-PLU will soon take over power.This is after President Museveni appointed Gen Muhoozi Kayinerugaba as CDF who is also the patron of PLU, and its members like Lillian Aber as the state minister for disaster preparedness and Balam Barugahara as Minister of State for Gender, Labor, and Social Development.

Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Information, Communication and National Guidance Godfrey Kabyanga Baruku has vowed to continue fulfilling his mandate in his docket. Minister Kabyanga says that he will continue guiding Ugandans to know the rightful presidential candidate to vote come 2026.

The Anti Corruption Court in 2023 committed Nandutu to High Court for trial over her role in the swindling of iron sheets meant for Karamoja.In the evidence presented before the court on, the Director of Public Prosecutions detailed how Nandutu got sulked into the scandal that has seen over 10 senior government officials implicated.