On Sunday, a multitude of leaders hailing from Kampala and the broader Masaka region embarked on a journey to St. Jude Lukaya Parish in Kalungu district to partake in the Silver Jubilee celebrations of this Catholic parish. The celebratory mass was presided over by Masaka Diocesan Bishop Serverus Jjumba.
Notable figures in attendance included Minister Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja, the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Joel Ssenyonyi, Catherine Ndiwalana, and Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, among others.
In a video circulating on social media from NBS Television, the event proceeded smoothly until leaders were given the microphone to express a few words. Upon receiving the microphone, Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi confronted Prime Minister Nabbanja, accusing her of rampant corruption that could potentially undermine the stability of the Museveni government. He reminded the audience of the infamous Mabaati scandal, in which Nabbanja was among those implicated.
When it was Nabbanja’s turn to respond, she began by cautioning Ssenyonyi and fellow Ugandans to refrain from accusing her of stealing Mabaati. According to Nabbanja, she has never pilfered a single iron sheet and maintains a clean record. She emphasized that her name was conspicuously absent among those who shared funds at the parliamentary commission where Mpuuga received a substantial Shs500 million as a service award.
“Cease accusing me of stealing ‘Mabaati.’ You’ve heard of Mpuuga and his colleagues who distributed money among themselves. Did you hear my name mentioned there? Please stop, Ssenyonyi and all Ugandans, stop labeling me as the Mabaati chief. I have never stolen Mabaati and have never taken a single iron sheet to my home,” vehemently warned Nabbanja in a visibly agitated manner.
Nabbanja, in addition to her role as Prime Minister, serves on the parliamentary commission as the Leader of Government Business in Parliament. Notably, the office where she deputizes aging Gen Moses Ali receives allocated funds from the parliamentary commission.
To provide context, alongside the passing of the Anti-Homosexuality Act in 2023, the Karamoja Mabaati scandal emerged as a significant narrative tied to the Prime Minister’s office. Various ministers, including Nabbanja, redirected thousands of iron sheets intended for Karachuna in Karamoja.
President Museveni instructed the return of the Mabaati, resulting in the arrest and subsequent legal proceedings against Karamoja Minister Mary Goret Kitutu, Junior Finance Minister Amos Lugoloobi, and Karamoja Junior Minister Agnes Nandutu, who are presently facing graft charges in the confines of Luzira prisons.
