President Yoweri Museveni has granted a pardon to a total of one hundred thirty (130) prisoners.
The revelation was made by Frank Baine, Deputy Prisons spokesperson, noting that the pardon was granted on public health and humanitarian grounds
“In accordance with Article 121 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda H.E the President has granted a pardon to a total of one hundred thirty (130) convicted minor offenders,” Baine announced in a statement.
Baine added that all the pardoned prisoners have since been released.
However, of the pardoned prisoners, theft cases dominated the lists among other crimes committed.
Other crimes committed include; robbery, doing grievous harm, house break, obtaining money by false pretense, unlawful possession of wildlife species, arson, assault, possession of opium, causing death by reckless driving, criminal trespass, manslaughter, burglary and assault occasioning bodily harm.
Earlier this month, Museveni granted pardon to John Muhanguzi Kashaka, a former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, who had been serving a sentence for financial mismanagement.
Kashaka, along with his co-accused, Henry Bamutura (posthumously), had been convicted by the Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court in July 2014.
In 2022, he pardoned 79 prisoners also on medical and humanitarian grounds. These prisoners included one Venezuela National Doralys Rodriguez Fagundez.
On April 22, 2020, President Museveni pardoned 833 prisoners country wide by exercising his Prerogative of Mercy.
The pardoning of the prisoners is part of efforts to decongest prisons and curb the spread of the #Covid-19 virus on prison facilities.
