101 convicts on death row, as pressure mounts on state to abolish death penalty
A total of 101 prisoners are currently on death row in the country even as pressure is mounting on the government to abolish death penalty.
Superintendent of Prison Ernest Olunga says 99 male and 2 female inmates are on death row in Kamiti, Shimo la Tewa and Naivasha maximum prisons, respectively.
Speaking today during the commemoration of the 21st World Day against the death penalty held in Nairobi by the Intentional Commission of Jurists (ICJ), Olunga said that inmates were convicted mainly of murder cases.
“As of this morning we hand 99 male and 2 female offenders on death row. Most of them are convicted of murder, robbery with violence and gender-based violence crimes.” Olunga said.
Meanwhile, Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) assistant director Samson Omondi has implored on the government to fast-track the abolition of the death penalty.
He faulted the existence of the penalty which he termed unconstitutional.
“We’ve had so many commutations including one done by President William Ruto last month of 634 but abolition is yet to take place, we continue to implore on the government that death penalty is discriminatory.” Omondi noted.
He has further warned that the county’s human rights record may be put in question for retaining death penalty. Omondi is asking Kenya to emulate 30 African countries including Ghana which has stopped taking convicted offenders to death.
“It doesn’t speak well of us as a country that we pride ourselves of having good laws while we still have death penalty.” He added.
His sentiment were echoed by ICJ executive director Elsy Saina as she reaffirmed their commitment to ensure the protection of constitutional rights of the offenders as well as victims of their crimes.
Saina insisted on the need for efforts to alleviate psychological trauma subjected to death-row convicts in Kenyan prisons.
She further asked the government to consider the plight of relatives’ especially children whose mothers are currently on death row, adding that, “calling for abolition of death penalty in the country does not mean that we ignore the rights of victims and their families”.
Despite Kenya not having carried out execution of any death row convict since 1987, ICJ has expressed concern that the death penalty may be implemented in the country as long as it is retained in the statute books.
