The President of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, has granted a presidential pardon to former city businessman Hajji Muhammad Ssebuwufu. The pardon was issued on 21st February 2026 under Article 121 (4) (a) of the 1995 Constitution, following advice from the Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy. With this decision, Ssebuwufu, a convicted prisoner, has walked free from jail.
Ssebuwufu was convicted in 2019 for the kidnap and murder of businesswoman Betty Donah Katusabe. He had originally been sentenced to 40 years in prison. However, in 2025, the Court of Appeal of Uganda reduced his sentence to 18 years. Before he could serve even half of that revised term, he received presidential mercy.
The case dates back to October 2015. Katusabe had bought a Toyota Premio from Ssebuwufu’s Pine Car Bond dealership but had reportedly failed to clear a balance of nine million shillings. Prosecutors told court that she was kidnapped from her home in Bwebajja along Entebbe Road. She was then driven to Pine Car Bond premises on Lumumba Avenue in Kampala, where she was allegedly tortured with sticks and machetes and beaten severely. She later died from the injuries she suffered during the attack.
Ssebuwufu was charged together with seven other suspects: Godfrey Kayiza, Phillip Mirembe, Stephen Lwanga, Paul Tasangika, Yoweri Kitatimba, Shaban Otuddu, and Damaseni Ssentogo. They faced charges of murder, aggravated robbery, and kidnap. The group was also accused of robbing Katusabe of her mobile phone worth three hundred thousand shillings.
The trial was one of the most talked-about criminal cases in the country. At one point, 26 witnesses testified before the High Court of Uganda. The case was presided over by Justice Flavia Anglin Ssenoga. Proceedings were once delayed after Ssebuwufu’s lawyer, Evans Ochieng, informed court that his client was not ready to begin his defense because he had not yet sworn in his evidence. The judge insisted that the accused defend themselves in the order they appeared on the charge sheet and adjourned the matter to allow preparation.
Earlier in the case, former Kampala DPC Aaron Baguma had also been jointly charged. However, the charges against him were later dropped by the Director of Public Prosecutions without public explanation.
The presidential pardon has sparked debate among members of the public. While the Constitution gives the President power to forgive convicted prisoners, many Ugandans are reflecting on the seriousness of the crime and the pain suffered by the victim’s family. Others point out that the law allows for mercy and that the decision followed legal procedures.
With his release, Ssebuwufu’s case once again highlights the power of presidential pardons and raises questions about justice, forgiveness, and accountability in Uganda’s legal system.
