KAMPALA — President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has granted a presidential pardon to city businessman Muhammad Ssebuwufu, the proprietor of Pine Car Bond, who was convicted in 2019 over the 2015 kidnap and murder of businesswoman Betty Donah Katusabe.
Ssebuwufu was sentenced to life imprisonment by the High Court in Kampala after being found guilty of masterminding the abduction and subsequent killing of Katusabe, a moneylender operating in the city. The court heard that the victim had been seized following a financial dispute linked to vehicle transactions and later killed. Her death shocked the business community and triggered widespread condemnation at the time.
Background of the Case
During the trial, prosecution evidence indicated that Katusabe was lured into a meeting before she was forcibly taken and held. Court proceedings detailed how investigators pieced together witness testimonies and forensic findings that ultimately linked Ssebuwufu and his co-accused to the crime. Several accomplices were also convicted and sentenced for their roles in the murder.
Also Read: Kakumiro in Mourning as Two Four-Year-Old Boys Die After Being Trapped in Refrigerator
In delivering judgment in 2019, the trial judge described the offense as premeditated and grave, noting that it involved violence and a breach of trust within the business community. The life sentence handed to Ssebuwufu was widely reported as one of the most high-profile criminal convictions involving a prominent Kampala businessman in recent years.
Exercise of the Prerogative of Mercy
The President’s decision to pardon Ssebuwufu was made under Article 121 of Uganda’s Constitution, which empowers the Head of State to grant a pardon, reprieve, substitute a lesser sentence, or remit all or part of a sentence. The power is exercised on the advice of the Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy.
While the specific grounds for Ssebuwufu’s pardon have not been publicly detailed, State House officials confirmed that the release falls within the constitutional framework governing executive clemency.
Reactions from Stakeholders
A senior official in the Ministry of Justice, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media, said the prerogative of mercy is “a constitutional instrument designed to allow room for rehabilitation, reconciliation, and humanitarian considerations where deemed appropriate.”
However, a relative of the late Betty Donah Katusabe told reporters that the family received news of the pardon with “deep pain,” stating, “We believed the court process had given us some measure of justice. This decision reopens wounds we have tried to heal.”
Legal analyst John Baptista Ssebuliba said the president’s powers under the Constitution are broad but stressed that transparency is essential. “The law permits such action, but in cases involving serious offenses like murder, the public naturally seeks clarity on the considerations taken into account,” he said.
A Kampala-based human rights activist, Sarah Nakato, called for reforms to ensure that victims’ families are formally consulted before pardons are granted in capital offenses. “There should be a structured engagement process so that families are informed and heard,” she said.
Next Steps
Authorities have not indicated whether any conditions are attached to Ssebuwufu’s release. It also remains unclear whether his co-convicts have received similar consideration under the prerogative of mercy.
The development marks a significant turn in a case that has remained etched in public memory since 2015, when the disappearance and subsequent killing of Betty Donah Katusabe dominated national headlines and court proceedings for years.
written by @enock katamba
- Mr. katamba Enock: Professional designer with experience in web designing who started this activity in 2022 at Kyambogo University . Contact me on : (+256-758287080)
Latest entries
NationalFebruary 27, 2026Museveni Pardons Pine Car Bond Boss in Betty Katusabe Murder Case
NationalFebruary 27, 2026Kakumiro in Mourning as Two Four-Year-Old Boys Die After Being Trapped in Refrigerator- EducationFebruary 26, 2026Community in Shock After P4 Pupil Dies at Unregistered School in Kalungu
NationalFebruary 26, 2026Politician Questions Reliance on Religious Mediation in Political Cases
