national 8 August 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Uganda's Death Row: Justice or Prolonged Psychological Torture?
Uganda holds 96 inmates on death row, with no executions in nearly three decades, sparking a debate on whether the sentence constitutes psychological torture or serves justice. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/justice-or-psychological-torture-inside-debate-on-uganda-s-96-death-row-inmates-5551154
Uganda’s justice system is grappling with a complex issue: the continued imposition of death sentences for severe crimes, despite no civilian executions occurring since 1999. Currently, 96 individuals, 93 men and three women, reside on death row, while an additional 289 are serving life sentences. This prolonged period without executions has prompted legal experts and human rights advocates to question the purpose and ethics of maintaining capital punishment.
The debate intensified following recent high-profile convictions, including the Susan Magara murder case, which saw two individuals sentenced to death. Legal practitioners like Edias Asiimwe argue that imposing a sentence that is not carried out can amount to indefinite confinement and severe psychological distress for inmates, questioning if it aligns with human dignity and proportionality.
Simon Peter Esomu describes the extended period on death row as a form of psychological torture, urging for the abolition of capital punishment in favor of rehabilitation. He notes that the prolonged uncertainty subjects inmates to immense pain and degrading treatment.
Conversely, some legal minds, such as Jude Byamukama, maintain that judges are bound by law to pass sentences enacted by Parliament, regardless of executive inaction. He points out that the President retains the power to order executions, meaning the sentence remains legally valid. The Uganda Prisons Service confirms that capital offenses include treason, terrorism, murder, and aggravated rape.
Frank Baine, spokesperson for the Uganda Prisons Service, clarified that only one inmate has fully exhausted the appeals process. The execution process involves the President signing a death warrant, after which the sentence must be carried out within 72 hours. President Museveni’s personal faith has been cited as a reason for the hiatus in executions since 1999.
Landmark legal decisions, such as the Susan Kigula case, have previously reshaped Uganda’s approach to capital punishment, striking down mandatory death sentences and introducing provisions for sentence commutation if executions are unduly delayed.
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)