Africa-Press – Tanzania. A total of 406 inmates had benefited from the Presidential amnesty in Kagera region.
This was revealed here by Kagera Regional Prisons Officer (RPO), Assistant Commissioner Samuel Mwakatika when speaking to the Daily News.
Out of the number, 313 inmates had their sentences reduced while 87 others were released on Thursday.
Beneficiaries include prisoners serving jail terms between one day and one year as well as those sentenced to serve many years but had no more than one year left to complete their prison terms.
MrMwakatika said it is pleasing that the government is looking into the possibility of building new prisons and court buildings in the country.
Also, steps were being taken to employ more judges and magistrates. The upshot, the government says, is to de-congest some of the most populated penitentiaries.
He appealed to prisoners who were serving their sentences in prisons but benefited from an amnesty by President SamiaSuluhu Hassan to be good citizens and utilize the expertise they acquired while in jail to be self-reliant.
“We expect you to be good citizens. Work hard and show respect to your leaders,” he said
He also urged village leaders and members of the community to welcome the released inmates and assist them to start a new life.
One of the pardoned prisoners, Habibu Damian (27), who was serving one year jail sentence for manslaughter on behalf of other inmates showered praises on President SamiaSuluhu Hassan and promised to be a good citizen, given the hardships they underwent in incarceration.
“We are repentant and thank President SamiaSuluhu Hassan for her mercy. May God bless her, he said as he hurriedly collected his belongings before boarding a bus for his home Kiruruma village, in Karagwe district.
ACPMwakatikaexplained further that about 288 inmates in Kagera region benefited from the presidential pardon last year.
The late President John Magufuli changed the death sentences of 256 convicts on death row during celebrations to mark the 59th anniversary of Independence,
The Head of State further reduced sentences of 3,3116 inmates who were convicted of various offenses. He ordered relevant authorities to start releasing the pardoned prisoners the following day.
“Most prisoners were serving jail terms over minor offenses such as chicken theft, using abusive language against others, failure to hire good advocates and failure to pay fines,” he said.
The President warned the pardoned inmates against committing crime as that would land them in jail again.
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