After freeing up 7,000 prisoners, now Uhuru spares nearly 3,000 death row convicts

Dennis Tarus

October 24, 2016 6:11 PM

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday, October 24, 2016 commuted all 2,747 death sentences in the country to life imprisonment.

The reprieve for the death row convicts 2,655 men and 92 women comes three days after the president freed 7000 inmates serving jail terms on petty offences during Mashujaa Day.

During the celebrations, Uhuru urged the new Chief Justice David Maraga to speed up cases on corruption to enable the culprits “fill the new spaces” in an apparent swipe at senior government officials.

The last commutation of death sentences to life imprisonment was made in 2009 by former President Mwai Kibaki.

Power of Mercy

Uhuru invoked the Power of Mercy provided for under Article 133 of the Constitution.

He at the same time signed a pardon warrant and released 102 long-term serving convicts.

The Power of Mercy is a prerogative power conferred on the President by the Constitution and entails granting pardon to reform and rehabilitated convicted criminal offenders deserving early release from prison.

The signing of the commutation documents was witnessed by Attorney General Githu Muigai, Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery, Prisons Commissioner General Isaiah Osugo and Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua.

Dennis Tarus