Kampala, Uganda. President Museveni has exercised his constitutional powers to grant a pardon to David Chandi Jamwa, the former Managing Director of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).
Insight Post has learnt that the pardon is based on public health and humanitarian grounds, as indicated in Museveni’s official instrument of pardon.
Jamwa, identified as Prisoner number MBP 3348/2019, was among ten individuals benefiting from the president’s prerogative of mercy.
Other individuals are, Fred Kato, Francis Leku, Jackson Owino, James Omirambe, Joseph Kabila, Nelson Drabo, Samuel Aliama, Vincent Ntale and Yoha Ayitia alias Samu.
Jamwa’s Legal Troubles
Jamwa’s legal woes stem from a 12-year jail term handed down by the Anti-corruption Court in 2011, a decision later affirmed by the Court of Appeal in 2018.
The Supreme Court, in 2019, cancelled Jamwa’s bail and upheld the 12-year sentence for causing a 3.1 billion shillings loss to the NSSF in 2007.
The conviction revolved around Jamwa’s premature sale of NSSF treasury bonds at a loss to Crane Bank, bypassing Standard Chartered Bank, the primary dealer with NSSF.
The court concluded that Jamwa’s decision was negligent and lacked evidence of a collective decision by NSSF to prematurely sell the bonds. Despite Jamwa’s attempts to portray the sale as a collective activity, the Supreme Court remained unconvinced.
Presidential Pardon
President Museveni, as the head of state, holds the exclusive authority to pardon inmates. This recent act follows his annual tradition of granting pardons, often occurring at the end or start of the year.
In August 2023, Museveni pardoned 200 inmates from various government prisons. Among those who have been set free is the former Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Public Service, Jimmy Lwamafa, whose case drew significant attention due to its implications for Uganda’s civil servants.
Jimmy Lwamafa alongside other ministry officials, Christopher Obey (principal accountant) and Stephen Kunsa Kiwanuka (director for research and development), faced allegations of illegally allocating UGX88.2 billion, intended for civil servants, to the Ministry’s budget under the guise of a pension contribution to the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).
This case raised significant concerns about the welfare of civil servants and the misuse of public funds.
In 2022, Museveni pardoned 79 inmates across prisons in Uganda. The decision to pardon Jamwa raises questions about the intersection of legal accountability, executive clemency, and the broader implications of the fight against corruption in Uganda.
As this unfolds, it prompts a closer examination of the delicate balance between justice, mercy, and the responsibilities of those in positions of authority.
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