In a surprising move, President Yoweri Museveni has exercised his prerogative of mercy to pardon the former National Social Security Fund (NSSF) managing director, David Chandi Jamwa, who has been serving a 12-year jail term for causing a financial loss of over Shs 3 billion to the government. Jamwa is among 13 individuals who have received presidential pardons, with sentences ranging between three and 20 years imprisonment.
The Uganda Prison Services spokesperson, Frank Baine, confirmed that they have received the president's letter, and they are in the process of preparing for the release of the pardoned individuals. The president's prerogative of mercy, granted under the law, allows him to pardon or reduce sentences for convicted individuals.
Jamwa, indicted by the High Court in 2011 on charges of abuse of office and causing financial loss, was initially sentenced to 12 years in prison and barred from holding any public office for 10 years. The charges stemmed from the sale of NSSF bonds to the now-defunct Crane bank before their maturity, resulting in a substantial financial loss. Despite the conviction, the court did not order Jamwa to refund the money, citing a lack of evidence that he personally benefited from the loss.
After unsuccessful appeals to the Court of Appeal, where his sentence for abuse of office was added to the initial 12-year term, Jamwa had resigned to serving the sentence. However, the tide turned when his mother, Tezira Jamwa, a former member of the Constituent Assembly and Woman MP for Tororo, along with other political figures, appealed to President Museveni for clemency. A letter from lawyer Asuman Odaka in March 2021 urged the president to consider pardoning Jamwa, and the recent decision has brought relief to the convicted former NSSF managing director.
"We really pushed so hard for David to be released. I thank President Museveni that he finally answered our prayers. David will be out of prison within a matter of hours," expressed an elated Odaka.
This presidential pardon echoes a similar move in April 2020 when President Museveni pardoned 833 prisoners across the country. A source revealed that during a meeting with political figures after pardoning another official, the president expressed surprise that Jamwa was still in jail, leading to renewed efforts for his release. As Uganda anticipates the release of the pardoned individuals, the move raises questions about the criteria for such decisions and their broader implications for the country's legal and justice system.
