I thank Museveni for ending my nightmare in Luzira- Jamwa

Former National Social Security Fund (NSSF) managing director, Mr David Chandi Jamwa who had been sentenced to 12 years in Luzira prison for causing the fund financial loss has lauded President Museveni for pardoning him and 12 other convicts, mostly defilers, saying he was head over heels after his release. 
The president used his prerogative of mercy powers given to him under the Constitution to pardon the convicts majorly on health and humanitarian grounds.

“[In] exercise of the power vest in me under Article 121 (1) of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, 1995 as amended, and on the advice of the Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, I hereby grant pardon to the persons below on grounds of public health and humanitarian grounds,” read in part the instrument of pardon.

After his release on Thursday, Mr Jamwa told journalists at Luzira prisons in Kampala that the news about his pardon caught him by surprise.
“I’m very grateful to the president, Gen Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa for his magnanimity, benevolence, sympathy and mercy. I’m head over heels and ecstatic. We’ll continue thanking him and the establishment for ending my nightmare,” said a clean-shaven Jamwa who was clad in a blue T-shirt and tight blue jean trousers as he goggled at journalists behind his sunglasses. 

READ: Former NSSF boss Jamwa sentenced to 12 years

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According to him, the news was surreal. 
“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. I also thank the prisons staff for doing the best in terms of looking after me,”   he said.

Mr Jamwa was in 2011 jailed 12 years over causing financial loss to the fund after he was accused of authorizing Crane Financial Services to sell shares of the NSSF on the stock exchange undervalued at Shs2.7 billion. 
The head of the Anti-Corruption Court, Justice John Bosco Katutsi, also ordered that Mr Jamwa will not access employment in any public office for 10 years after serving the sentence.

Prosecution said Mr Jamwa during his employment as NSSF Managing Director, in his performance of duties sold off several government bonds held by the Fund before their maturity dates to Crane Bank at prices below their discounted value of Shs3,163,256,502, which acts he knew or had reason to believe would cause and did cause financial loss to the fund.
Mr Jamwa was in 2010 arrested at Malaba attempting to flee the country into Kenya.

Mr Frank Baine, the Uganda Prisons Spokesperson, said Wednesday that 13 people pardoned would be released today. 
Other persons pardoned include Vincent Ntale, Nelson Drabo, James Omirambe, Samuel Aliama, Francis Leku, Joseph Kabila, Yoha Ayitia alias Samu, Fred Kato and Jackson Owino.

President Museveni last pardoned convicts in August 2023 where 200 prisoners benefitted. In July 2022, he also pardoned 79 prisoners.
In April 2020, he also pardoned 833 prisoners, a decision which was intended to decongest the prisons to avoid the spread of coronavirus. 

More about Jamwa case 

In June 2010, the former NSSF boss was arrested at the Uganda-Kenya border over accusations of causing financial loss to a tune of Shs2.7 billion. He was charged before the Anti-Corruption Court and remanded to Luzira Prison. 
In 2011, Jamwa petitioned the Court of Appeal challenging his 12-year jail sentence handed to him by the Anti-Corruption Court. He was later granted a Shs10m cash bail by the Court of Appeal, and Shs500 million non-cash.

On January 16, 2018, Jamwa lost his appeal against the jail sentence. Court ruled that the evidence on record was sufficient to prove that he acted arbitrarily when he authorised the sale of several NSSF bonds before their maturity dates.

The Court of Appeal also convicted Jamwa of abuse of office charges which the Anti-Corruption Court had dropped. He was given another four-year jail sentence which ran concurrently with his 12-year sentence.

Jamwa later applied for temporary release and in January 2021, court released him on bail and ordered him to deposit another Shs10m in court, pending hearing of his main application against the Court of Appeal decision to uphold his 12-year sentence.
The Supreme Court later cancelled his bail and reaffirmed the 12-year jail term. 
 
In 2011, the then Head of the Anti-Corruption Court, Justice John Bosco Katutsi ordered that Jamwa be barred from public office for 10 years.