Commissioner General of Prisons Canon Dr Johnson Byabashaija has celebrated 69 years of life, 43 years of public service and 35 years of marriage, using his thanksgiving ceremony to mobilise support for the completion of Emmanuel Cathedral Kinyasano in Rukungiri District.
The thanksgiving service, organised by the North Kigezi Diocese Kampala Fellowship, was held on Sunday, November 1, 2026, at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds in Kampala, bringing together religious leaders, government officials, family members, friends and Christians from the diocese.
The fundraising drive seeks to raise Shs3.7 billion to complete Emmanuel Cathedral Kinyasano, which serves as the main cathedral of North Kigezi Diocese.
Byabashaija, who serves as Commissioner General of Uganda Prisons Service, leader of the laity of North Kigezi Diocese and chairman of the Kampala Fellowship’s executive committee, contributed Shs43 million towards the cathedral project alongside his family.
In his thanksgiving remarks, Byabashaija said he had every reason to thank God for preserving his life, blessing his family and enabling him to serve the country and the Church for decades.
“I am grateful to God for my life and family. Sixty-nine years of living is gratitude to God. My family and I have contributed Shs43 million towards the completion of the cathedral,” Byabashaija said.
He also reflected on his 43 years of service, including 21 years at the helm of Uganda Prisons Service, describing his journey as one sustained by God’s grace.
President Yoweri Museveni, who was the guest of honour, was represented by Second Deputy Prime Minister Crispus Kiyonga, who announced a Shs300 million contribution from the President towards the cathedral construction.
Kiyonga praised Byabashaija for his long service to the country, describing him as a public servant whose contribution to national development deserves recognition.
He also used the occasion to call on Ugandans to embrace household wealth creation, abandon subsistence farming and move towards participation in the money economy.
Representing Museveni, Kiyonga said commercial agriculture, industrialisation, services and information and communication technology were key sectors through which Ugandans could create wealth, generate employment and improve their livelihoods.
He announced the President’s Shs300 million contribution towards the cathedral, adding to the fundraising efforts aimed at completing the church project.
Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa, who attended the service, praised Byabashaija for balancing his demanding public service responsibilities with his commitment to the Church.
Tayebwa said Byabashaija’s contribution to Uganda extended beyond his official position, noting that he had remained actively involved in religious leadership throughout his years in government.
“His Excellency President Yoweri Museveni, who was represented by Rt. Hon. Dr Crispus Kiyonga, paid a glowing tribute to Dr Byabashaija for his patriotic spirit of service to the nation,” Tayebwa said.
He highlighted the Commissioner’s 43 years of service, including 21 years as head of Uganda Prisons Service, saying his leadership had helped transform the institution from an organisation largely associated with detention into a professional correctional service focused on rehabilitation, reform and reintegration.
Tayebwa particularly praised Byabashaija’s integrity and leadership, saying the Prisons Service had maintained high standards of institutional discipline and accountability.
He also pointed to the institution’s record in relation to audit queries from the Auditor General, presenting it as an example of the accountability he associated with Byabashaija’s leadership.
Byabashaija’s career in Uganda Prisons Service dates back to 1982, when he joined the institution after completing his studies in Veterinary Medicine at Makerere University. He later obtained a Master of Science degree from the University of Glasgow in 1986.
He rose through the ranks, serving at Kigo Prison and later at Prisons Headquarters, where he worked in prison administration and farms management before becoming Assistant Commissioner, Senior Assistant Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner General.
He was appointed Commissioner General in 2005 and has remained at the helm of the institution through successive presidential appointments.
During his tenure, Uganda Prisons Service has increasingly embraced a correctional approach that places emphasis on changing the behaviour of offenders and preparing them for life outside prison rather than focusing exclusively on confinement.
One of the major areas of transformation has been rehabilitation through formal education, vocational training, agricultural production, industrial activities, counselling and life skills programmes.
Government’s 2023/2024 Prisons Service performance statement reported that 30,494 inmates were undergoing life skills training, including 7,433 in agriculture and 23,061 in industrial skills. Another 3,327 offenders were reintegrated into their communities during the reporting period.
The programmes are intended to give inmates practical skills that can help them secure employment, establish businesses and become productive members of society after serving their sentences.
Prison agriculture has also remained an important component of the institution’s operations, with inmates participating in crop production and other productive activities. Government records for the 2022/2023 financial year show that the service produced 5,197 tonnes of maize grain, harvested 8,691 bales of cotton and generated Shs11.247 billion in non-tax revenue from prison production enterprises.
The institution has also invested in education, with inmates accessing primary, secondary and higher education opportunities, alongside technical training in areas such as carpentry, tailoring, metal fabrication and other vocational trades.
The impact of these rehabilitation interventions is reflected in government performance figures showing that the rate of recidivism, which measures the proportion of released offenders who return to criminal activity and prison, declined from 13.9 per cent in the 2022/2023 financial year to 13.4 per cent in 2023/2024.
The Office of the Prime Minister’s performance report attributed the improvement to vocational training and reintegration programmes implemented by Uganda Prisons Service.
Under Byabashaija, the institution has also pursued improvements in staff development, professional training, prison infrastructure, security systems and the welfare of both inmates and prison officers.
In April 2026, Uganda Prisons Service announced the promotion of 4,996 junior officers, one of the largest promotion exercises in the institution’s history, as part of efforts to strengthen staff motivation and career progression.
Beyond his professional responsibilities, Byabashaija has maintained an active role in the Church of Uganda.
In March 2026, he was elected head of laity of North Kigezi Diocese during the 22nd diocesan synod held at Emmanuel Cathedral Kinyasano, becoming the third person to occupy the position since the diocese was established.
He also chairs the North Kigezi Diocese Kampala Fellowship, which brings together Christians from the diocese living in Kampala and surrounding areas to support the church’s spiritual and development programmes.
The fundraising at Kololo is aimed at supporting the completion of Emmanuel Cathedral Kinyasano, one of the major development projects of North Kigezi Diocese.
The cathedral project was initiated in 2019 by the late Bishop Benon Magezi, who sought to provide the diocese with a facility capable of accommodating its growing congregation and supporting its expanding religious activities.
Following Magezi’s death in June 2021, the project continued under the leadership of Bishop Onesimus Asiimwe, who was consecrated in March 2023.
The diocese has continued mobilising Christians, well-wishers and development partners to raise resources required to complete the cathedral.
Bishop Asiimwe led Sunday’s thanksgiving service, which combined prayers and celebration of Byabashaija’s life with appeals for financial support towards the Shs3.7 billion target.
Tayebwa also thanked former minister James Kabwegyere Muhwezi, who serves as patron of the North Kigezi Diocese Kampala Fellowship, and Henry Tumukunde for their instrumental roles in organising the event.
Prison officers across the country contributed Shs508 million
