President Yoweri Museveni has granted pardon to 02 convicted prisoners including John Muhabuzi Kashaka, the former Permanent Secretary for Local Government, who has been in jail for causing financial loss to government amounting to UGX4.2 billions.
Kashaka alongside former principal accountant Henry Bamutura were in 2014, convicted by the then Anti-corruption court judge Catherine Bamugemereire for various roles they played in contracting a sham company to purchase 70, 000 bicycles to be used by parish and Local Council chairpersons in the 2011 general elections.
Bamugemereire sent them to jail, barred them from holding any government office for ten years and ordered them to compensate the government for the loss.
On 17 July 2014, the duo were sentenced to 10 years and 10 days in jail but challenged the sentence in the courts and securing bail up to 2 December 2019 when the Court of Appeal recommitted them to prison.
In a statement from Uganda Prisons Service, President Yoweri Museveni on 03 October 2024, using powers derived from Article 121(1)(a) of the 1995 Constitution pardoned both John Kashaka and Henry Bamutura. However, Bamutura had earlier in March 2020 secured bail through a Supreme Court order but he later died.
According to the Assistant PRO for the prisons service Moses Sentalo, John Kashaka was accordingly released on 03 October 2024 after serving a period of five (05) years and two (2) months nine (09) days in prison.
The Presidential pardon to Kashaka also covers compensation therefore he will also not supposed to pay back the stolen government money.