President Yoweri Museveni has in accordance with Article 121 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, granted pardon to 130 convicted minor offenders.
The development was announced by the Uganda Prisons Services on Tuesday.
“The pardon was granted on public health and humanitarian grounds. All the pardoned prisoners have since been released,” Prisons spokesperson, Frank Baine said in a statement.
A list of those pardoned show that most of them are on petty offences.
In 2022, the president pardoned 79 prisoners in exercise of the power vest in him under Article 121(1) (a) of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda and on the advice of the Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy.
Earlier, in 2020, Museveni pardoned 833 prisoners countrywide through the Prerogative of Mercy as a measure against the spread of COVID-19 by decongesting the prison facilities.
Last year, the president pardoned 200 prisoners but over 1600 who were part of the 1800 submitted for pardon missed out.
Article 121 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda says there shall be an Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy.
Article 121 (4) (b) says the President may, on advice of the Committee of grant a person a respite, either indefinite or for a specified period from the execution of punishment imposed on him or her for an offence.
