The Power of Mercy Advisory team will today, on Wednesday resume its public debates to collect views from the public over the death penalty.
The committee will seek to solicit for views on the administration of death penalty as capital punishment to be imposed on hardcore criminals.
According to the team's CEO Michael Kagika, their mandate will majorly revolve around seeking public opinions on offences which they deem constitutes capital crime, alternative punishments and length of life sentences.
“This death penalty debate provides a platform for the public to express their opinions on capital offences and the forms of punishments capital offenders should be awarded,” Kagika said.
The CEO further said that there are five classifications of capital offenses that may attract the death penalty. They include murder charges, treason, robberies with violence, attempted robberies with violence and taking oaths for criminal activities by prescribed groups, including and not limited to terrorist outfits.
“In Kenya, there are around 3,000 convicts who have been so far been handed the death sentence by the courts. Out of this number, only 300 of these criminal offenders have ultimately gone through the appeal processes and may be said to be on the death row,” Kagika added.
Since June this year, the team has visited 19 counties where many Kenyans are of the view that the death sentence be abolished and also life imprisonment reviewed.
Among the counties that the team is set to visit in their second phase of county tours include Garissa, Kirinyaga, Kiambu, Murang’a, Nyandarua, Nyeri and Samburu among others.