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Six women among over 140 prisoners to be released after Museveni pardon

A total of 143 inmates serving sentences for petty offences are set to be released, having been granted a presidential pardon, following a formal communication from the Attorney General to the Uganda Prisons Service.

A total of 143 inmates serving sentences for petty offences are set to be released, having been granted a presidential pardon, following a formal communication from the Attorney General to the Uganda Prisons Service. (Photo by Petride Mudoola)

By: Petride Mudoola, Journalists @New Vision

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Six women are among the 143 prisoners President Yoweri Museveni has pardoned.

A total of 143 inmates serving sentences for petty offences are set to be released, having been granted a presidential pardon, following a formal communication from the Attorney General to the Uganda Prisons Service.

In a November 13, 2025, letter to Commissioner General of Prisons Dr Johnson Byabashaija, Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka forwarded the statutory instrument of pardon on behalf of the President.

According to Article 121(4) of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, the President has the power to pardon any person convicted of an offence, either free or subject to lawful conviction.

Under Article 121 (4) (b), the President may, on the advice of the Prerogative of Mercy Committee, grant a person a respite, either indefinitely or for a specified period from the execution of a punishment imposed on them for an offence.

The decision, made under Article 121(4)(a) of the Constitution, was relayed in an official instrument signed by the Attorney General and addressed to the Commissioner General of Prisons, who acknowledged receipt of the communication on November 14 confirming the commencement of the release process.

Documents indicate that the pardon was approved upon the recommendation of the Prerogative of Mercy Committee, which evaluates cases eligible for clemency, of which the recent pardon focuses on inmates convicted of minor offences.

A communication from prison’s department dated November 19 outlines the implementation of the directive, which indicates that 143 prisoners have benefitted from the pardon, of these, 137 are male and 6 are female.

Part of a broader goal

Prisons spokesperson Frank Baine, who signed the final confirmation document, described the pardon as part of the Government’s effort towards management of prison population, hence upholding humane correctional standards.

“Besides decongesting detention facilities, the pardon aims at promoting rehabilitation of convicts, giving reformed offenders a second chance at life. Beneficiaries are expected to undergo standard exit procedures, guidance and reintegration support before returning to their respective communities,” Baine noted.

In 2024, the president granted clemency to 13 prisoners, including former National Social Security Fund managing director David Chandi Jamwa who had served six years of his 12-year jail sentence for causing financial loss.

The prisoners who were pardoned are below: