Former National Social Security Fund (NSSF) Managing Director, Mr. David Chandi Jamwa, expressed gratitude towards President Museveni after being pardoned from Luzira prison. President Museveni utilized his prerogative of mercy powers, citing public health and humanitarian grounds, to pardon Jamwa and 12 other convicts, including those convicted of defilement.
Jamwa, sentenced to 12 years for causing financial loss to the NSSF, lauded the President for his magnanimity, benevolence, and mercy. Dressed in a blue T-shirt and tight blue jeans, Jamwa, who was released on Thursday, expressed his surprise at the news of the pardon during a press conference at Luzira prisons in Kampala.
“It came as a surprise but when we found out that the prerogative had been exercised, we could only be grateful. Prison life is difficult but also character-building, so there are two sides to that coin. It’s an experience that changes you for the better. I just thank God for keeping me alive,” he stated.
Jamwa was jailed in 2011 for authorizing the undervalued sale of NSSF shares, causing a financial loss of Shs2.7 billion. Justice John Bosco Katutsi, the head of the Anti-Corruption Court, imposed a 10-year ban on Jamwa’s employment in any public office after completing his sentence.
Frank Baine, the Uganda Prisons Spokesperson, confirmed the release of the 13 pardoned individuals, which included Jamwa, Vincent Ntale, Nelson Drabo, James Omirambe, Samuel Aliama, Francis Leku, Joseph Kabila, Yoha Ayitia alias Samu, Fred Kato, and Jackson Owino.
This act of clemency follows President Museveni’s previous pardons in August 2023 (benefitting 200 prisoners) and July 2022 (79 prisoners). In April 2020, he also pardoned 833 prisoners to decongest prisons and prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Jamwa’s legal journey involved unsuccessful appeals, temporary releases, and a Supreme Court decision canceling his bail while reaffirming his 12-year jail term. Justice Katutsi had earlier barred Jamwa from public office for 10 years in 2011.
