Museveni Grants Pardon to Lwamafa and 199 Inmates Countrywide

In an official statement exercising the authority vested in him by Article 121 (1) of the 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, President Museveni has pardoned 200 individuals who were serving sentences in various prisons nationwide. The decision comes after recommendations from the Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy. Museveni emphasized that the pardons were granted based on humanitarian and public health considerations.

According to Frank Baine, the spokesperson for the Prisons, among those pardoned is Jimmy Lwamafa, the former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Service. Lwamafa, along with Kiwanuka Kunsa, the former head of the research and development department, and Christopher Obey, the former chief accountant of the Ministry of Public Services, had been convicted in 2016. They were sentenced to 10, 7, and 5 years in prison, respectively, by the anti-corruption court for offenses including financial loss, abuse of office, neglect of duty, embezzlement, and connivance to defraud the Ugandan government.

Baine explained that Lwamafa’s pardon was granted due to his health condition, advanced age, and humanitarian reasons, considering his long-standing service in the Ministry of Public Service. Baine further disclosed that the prisons had submitted a list of 1800 inmates to the Advisory Committee on Prerogative Mercy, meeting specific criteria. Ultimately, only 200 inmates were selected for pardon.

The pardoned individuals have completed their appeal process, encompassing capital offenders who have served half of their sentences, pregnant and nursing mothers who have served half of their sentences, terminally ill inmates who have served a quarter of their sentences, and elderly inmates who have completed half of their sentences.

Baine clarified that the pardoned inmates will be released from prison without any conditions by tomorrow, underscoring that this action will contribute to reducing prison congestion.

Certainly, here is the list of the 200 inmates pardoned by President Yoweri Museveni on August 20, 2023: