President Museveni Grants Pardon to 200 Convicts Including Jimmy Rwamafa for Humanitarian Reasons
On August 28, 2023, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni exercised his authority under Article 121 (1) (a) of the 1995 Constitution to pardon 200 inmates across various prisons in Uganda. The decision was made based on humanitarian and health considerations.
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni using powers vested into him by Article 121 (1) (a) of the 1995 Constitution, On 28th August 2023 pardoned 200 convicts who have been serving punishments in various prison facilities country-wide due to humanitarian grounds and health reasons.
Among those who have benefited from the President’s decision is Jimmy Rwamafa the former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service who was convicted of charges relating to mismanaging workers’ retirement benefits amounting to 88.2 billion shillings alongside Principal Accountant Christopher Obey and Stephen Kiwanuka Kunsa, the Commissioner in charge of compensation.
Lwamafa was in 2016 sentenced to seven years in Jail by Anti-Corruption High Court Division on top of being ordered by his colleagues to pay back 50 billion shillings back to the government which was later challenged in a Court of Appeal and the jail term was reduced to four years in this case.
Lwamafa was in 2021 sentenced to nine years in jail by the High Court Anti-corruption Division on charges relating to theft and forgery of two judicial documents with an aim to steal Shs 15.4 billion pension funds.
He was sentenced to jail alongside City Lawyer Bob Kasango (who died in Prison), Stephen Kiwanuka Kunsa (former staff of the Public Service Ministry), and Christopher Obey (who died in Prison of pneumonia)
President Museveni’s orders are going to leave Stephen Kiwanuka Kunsa former Director of Research and Development, Ministry of Public Service, the only person in jail after two of his colleagues passed away while in detention at Luzira and now Lwamafa is going to be released any time.