President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has pardoned the former Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Local Government, John Muhanguzi Kashaka, who has been serving a 10-year jail sentence for causing a financial loss of UGX 4.2 billion to the government in the Local Council I (LCI) bicycle procurement scandal.
This development was confirmed in a statement released by Uganda Prison Services on Thursday, October 3, 2024.
According to Moses Ssentalo, the Commissioner of Prison Assistant Public Relations Officer, Kashaka has been released on pardon of the sentence and the award of compensation after servicing a period of five years, two months, and nine days in prison.
“In accordance with Article 121 (1)(a) of the 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda as amended, H.E. The President of the Republic of Uganda has granted pardon to two (2) convicted prisoners, John Muhanguzi Kashaka and Henry Bamutura (posthumous), who had been convicted by the Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court for the offense of causing financial loss and sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 10 years and 10 days on 17th July 2014, and their Earliest Possible Date of Discharge (EPD) was 17th April 2021, subject to remission,” Ssentalo stated.
On November 25 and December 22, 2014, the Court of Appeal granted bail to Kashaka and Bamutura, respectively, and on December 2, 2019, the same court upheld their conviction and sentence and committed them to prison.
However, on March 16, 2020, Bamutura was granted bail by the Supreme Court after spending a total period of eight months and 19 days in prison. Bamutura was the former Principal Accountant at the Ministry of Local Government.
Kashaka and Bamutura were charged with abuse of office for causing a financial loss to the government. The money in question was meant to procure bicycles, which were intended to be used by parish and local council chairpersons during the 2011 general election.
