By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
KAMPALA
Uganda’s oldest political party, Democratic Party (DP) has tasked President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has been told to stop selective application of the law while exercising prerogative of mercy powers to pardon individuals serving their sentences in prison.
Last week, the president through his prerogative of mercy powers vested under article 121(1)(a) of the constitution of the Republic of Uganda, 1995 as amended and on advice of the advisory committee on the same, pardoned 13 prisoners including for er National Social Security Fund (NSSF) Managing Director, Chandi Jamwa over alleged public health and humanitarian grounds.
David Chandi Jamwa, prisoner number Mbo3348/2019 was serving a 12-year-jsil term for causing a loss of Shs2.3b to government which he committed in 2011.
Ismail Kiirya, the acting DP spokesperson said during a press briefing on Tuesday (January 23) that the forgiveness is a good gesture but wondered why this is given to a few individuals while millions of people are rotting in cells over minor political charges.
“This is a good gesture to show some forgiveness to such people, however, we want to see the same on other prisoners like those sentenced in the 2021 elections,” Kiirya said.
He appealed to the advisory committee of prerogative of mercy to practice fairness and equity when making recommendations to the president I order to avoid this selective and discriminatory application of the law.
