Over 680 prisoners considered for presidential pardon

The Spokesperson of the Uganda Prison services Frank Baine has revealed that they have handed over a total of 682 names of inmates to the prerogative of mercy committee seeking presidential pardon.

Speaking to the media on Monday during the weekly security briefing at Police headquarters in Naguru, Baine said that names have already been sent to the Prerogative of mercy committee which is headed by Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka.

“Every July of the year, we send in names of prisoners which we think need pardon and it’s the decision of the prerogative of mercy committee to look through and forward to the president or to seat on the list and then the year pass without the pardon but for us, it’s a religious submission of every July and that is what we have done,” he said.

Baine added that names were handed in  different categories such as pregnant women and breastfeeding, minor offenders with illnesses such as cancer.All petty offenders who have served three-quarters of their sentences, convicted of capital offences but are only left with six months of their sentences, and all over-aged (65+) convicted offenders who have served half of their sentence. Convicts of rob and vagabond even those who have started the sentence as long as there were in prison at the time of compilation.

“However, it’s not a guarantee that these convicts should be pardoned but it will depend on the office of Attorney General if they so wish to consider their pardon,”Baine noted.

It must also be remembered that on 22nd April last year, President Yoweri Museveni pardoned 833 prisoners country-wide through the Prerogative of Mercy as a measure against the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) by decongesting the prison facilities.

The Constitution of the Republic of Uganda under Article 121 grants President the power to grant (upon advice from the office of Attorney General) pardon any convicted Ugandan. “Article 121 (4) (b) The President may, on the advice of the Committee of granting a person a respite, either indefinite or for a specified period from the execution of punishment imposed on him or her for an offence.”