MAO calls for constitutional review to end debate on death penalty
By Mike Sebalu
The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Norbert Mao says Ugandans will only express themselves on issues concerning the total abolition of the death penalty in Uganda through a constitutional review exercise.
Apparently, death by hanging is discretionally and Mo believes the ongoing debate is healthy despite various groups having various positions.
Speaking to KFM, Moa said there are those who believe the death penalty should be abolished completely whereas others believe that it should be mandatory in some cases and others who want it to be discretionally.
In total, Uganda has 124 inmates on death row of whom 3 are women within Luzira women prison.
The other 121 are male inmates being held in Luzira upper maximum prison where 3 are pending mitigation, 67 await Court of Appeal, 20 pending at Supreme Court, 13 pending at GCM (General Court Martial, 10 pending at Court Martial Appeal and 8 have exhausted the appeal process.
“As of now, Uganda has a death penalty, it is discretionary according to the court, it is not mandatory and that is a very big step forward. The death penalty is being debated in Uganda. I think it is a healthy debate and various groups have various positions. There are those who believe it should be abolished completely, and there are those who believe that it should be there and it should be mandatory in some cases,” Mao told KFM.
“But the court should retain the power to decide. Since in our constitution power belongs to the people, the constitutional review commission should be able to recommend to parliament what the people have said after broad consultation,” he added.
