President Museveni Adds Prisons Boss Dr Johnson Byabashaija Another Two years Term

President Yoweri Museveni who isq the Commander in Chief of armed forces has reappointed Canon Dr. Johnson to Byabashaija as Commissioner General of Prisons who has been heading the Prison Services since 2005 when he was first appointed.

President Museveni exercised powers vested in him under Article 216 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda and in accordance with the advice of the Prisons Authority under sections 10 (1)(b) and 18 of the Prison Act 2006.

President Museveni wrote to the Prison Authority and Minister of Internal Affairs reappointed Can Dr Byabashaija as Commissioner General of Prisons for a period of 24 months (2 years) on contract terms with effect from May 2nd, 2024 and the new appointment reaffirms President Museveni’s confidence in the Prisons Chief despite the fueled sanctions by the United States.

The US Department of Treasury in December last year sanctioned Dr Byabashaija over allegations of torture in the country’s correctional facilities and the sanction came just days after the US imposed visa restrictions on unnamed Ugandan government officials believed to be behind the alleged human rights violations and repression of marginalised groups in the country, however, this came about after Uganda enacted the Anti-Homosexuality law which Washington and other pro-gay states were against. 

In 2017, Dr. Byabashaija was awarded with the Justice Law and Order Sectors (JLOS) Distinguished Service Award at the Recognition Awards 2017 during the 22nd Joint Government of Uganda and Development Partners JLOS Annual Review Conference. Byabashaija joined Uganda Prison Service in 1982 and underwent a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Prisons Course at the Prisons Training School then he joined the Prisons Service and was first posted to Kigo Prison where he oversaw the prisons hatchery, for about 15 years and eventually became Officer-in-Charge of Kigo Prison.

In 1999, he was promoted to Assistant Commissioner of Prisons and in 2000 was transferred to Prisons Headquarters as Assistant Commissioner in charge of Farms inspectorate and was later promoted to a Senior Assistant Commissioner for two years and then promoted to Deputy Commissioner General for One and half years after which he became the Commissioner General of Prisons replacing Joseph Etima who retired in 2005.

 Can Dr Byabashaija is credited for transforming Prisons into a food reliant institution from prison farms, he has also overseen the growth of new facilities like Kitalya Modern Prisons and others across the regions of Uganda and recently, he embarked on the improvement of housing conditions in the prisons facilities for prison warders across the country.

Can Dr Byabashaija was born in Kajumiro village Nyakishenyi sub-county, Rubabo County in Rukungiri District and started his education from Nyakishenyi Primary School, Kamwezi Primary School and Mukyayi Primary School for his primary education before joining Mutorere Secondary School in Kisoro District for O-level Education.

From Mutorere, Dr Byabashaija joined Makerere College School for his A-Level Education where he offered Physics, Biology, Chemistry and Subsidiary Mathematics and then was admitted to Makerere University Veterinary School for a four year course in Veterinary Medicine.