President Museveni on Wednesday reappointed Johnson Byabashaija the Commissioner General of Uganda prison (UPS) despite US sanctions.
The president made the reappointment under article 216 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda and with the advice of the Prisons Authority.
The president has extended Byabashaija’s tenure for another 24 months on local contract terms starting from May 2, 2024.
The renewal of his contract will see Mr Byabashaija, a close friend of the President, to continue in his role until the conclusion of the 2026 general elections, despite anticipation for his retirement in 2020, which has been continuously postponed by President Museveni.
Initially Byabashaija faced opposition to his reappointment due to having reached the mandatory retirement age of 60 in 2020, however cleared the air that at this time, he operates on three-year contracts and has been serving in the Prisons Service since his retirement from Public Service in 2005, having joined as a cadet Assistant Superintendent in 1989.