Opinion, New Vision

UGANDA: The State Shouldn't Kill

The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda has appealed for the pardon of former minister for security in Obote II government, Chris Rwakasisi. He was sentenced to death in 1988 for kidnap with intent to murder. There are several others like him who have been on death row for long. Waiting for death, more so by hanging, is nerve-racking. The procrastination over the day of hanging tells the hesitation and discomfort cast by the death penalty. This offers ground for the abolition of capital punishment.

Government should in the interim commute all the death sentences to life imprisonment. Then work towards abolishing the death penalty. There is no evidence anywhere that the death penalty is a deterrent to violent crime. The U.S. which is leading in legal executions is still riddled with violent crime. The weak counter argument is the South Africa case. Scrapping of the death penalty put it in good stead with human rights activists but crime level soars high. But critically capital punishment is revenge and perpetuates killing that serves no useful purpose in correcting wrongdoers. The State should not kill. Countries with capital punishment on their statute books carry out murder in the name of the law. The pro-capital punishment argument seeks to see justice done. But justice does not necessarily mean it has to be death sentence. Life imprisonment is a proper alternative. Death penalty is consistent with an-eye-for-an-eye philosophy. Which, Mahatma Gandhi said leads to a blind world.

Human flaws during investigations and vendettas could get the wrong person onto the gallows. Once the execution done it is over, yet new evidence could have saved a life. That is why the European Convention on Human Rights aptly bans capital executions and equates them to genocide and torture.