Museveni pardons ex-PS Kashaka jailed for role in shs4.2bn LC1 bicycle scam

President Museveni has pardoned John Kashaka, the former Ministry of Local Government Permanent Secretary who has been serving a 10 year sentence over causing a financial loss of shs4.2 billion in the famous LC1 bicycle scam.

Kashaka was in 2014 together with five others sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by the Anti-Corruption Court for their roles in the botched purchase of 70,000 bicycles for Local Council one chairpersons that caused government a financial loss of shs4.2 billion.

They were also  barred them from holding any government office for ten years and ordered to compensate the government for the loss when they  contracted a sham company, Ammam Industrial Tools and Equipment Limited to purchase 70, 000 bicycles from India.

Kashaka lost appeals twice in the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court to overturn the sentence.

The last appeal he lost was last year when the Supreme Court in Kampala upheld the 10-year jail sentence .

However, on Thursday, Uganda Prisons indicated that President Museveni had pardoned Kashaka together with Henry Bamutura, the former principal accountant who has since died.

The later weas pardoned posthumously.

“Today, October, 3, 2024, John Muhanguzi Kashaka has accordingly been released on pardon of the sentence and award of compensation after serving a period of five years, two months and 60 days in prison,” Prisons said in a statement.