The quality of mercy is not strained. It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath. It is twice blest. It is blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
These words were said by Portia in William Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice play when she was trying to convince Shylock, a bloodthirsty moneylender who was insisting on getting nothing less than justice which of course he deserved.
However, Portia was of the view that as much as people strive to get justice for the wrongs meted on them, they should show mercy. She notes that though the law is cold and precise, people should strive to be more than that by showing mercy as it is an attribute of God himself and everyone should try to mirror God in their actions.
Nevertheless, this aspect can be said to have been lacking in the judgement delivered by High Court Judge Jessie Lessit who this week sent Miss Langata Prisons Ruth Kamande to the gallows.
The young lady who is now likely to spend the rest of her life in jail did not simply deserve such a harsh sentence even though that is what the law stipulates for the offence she committed. Here is why.
Circumstances under which the offence was committed: Kamande is said to have stabbed her boyfriend severally after she reportedly realized that her boyfriend may have been hiding his true HIV status from her. It is, therefore, human nature that she went amok with bitterness and rage with fears rife at the back of her mind that she could as well be 'sick'.
Age: The beauty queen is said to have been only 21 years old when she committed the offence. Quite young. Isn't it? At this stage, she was simply immature to be able to handle such a complicated matter soberly. Who knows, maybe this was her first love, reason why perhaps she was 'manipulative and jealous' in the judge's words.
The victim is dead: Kamande's boyfriend Farid Mohammed died after the callous act and is not alive today to witness her girlfriend suffer for her 'silly' act. Dead men tell no tales. Even if the girl was to be hanged, what she did can't be reversed.
First time offender: The girl has no reported past criminal record. It was rather unfortunate that when she committed one, she went to the extreme. Perhaps if the judge considered this seriously, she would have been a bit lenient. Just saying.
#hivisasaoriginal