Education helps death row inmate to hope for freedom

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Richard Okurmur, a death row inmate, incarcerated at the Maximum Security Prison in Luzira says that the sentence cannot stop him and advised his colleagues to still build their lives, even when faced with a gloomy future.

Sentenced to death for murder, Okurmur is one of the candidates who sat for the Uganda Certificate of Education Examinations last year. He scored 56 aggregates, and was ranked in Division Four, a result which he says gives him satisfaction and pride.

He has urged fellow inmates on death row, to think less about the sentence or even remain miserable, but instead build their life and keep busy through school. According to him, returning to school is the only yardstick for hope for all persons who have been condemned by the world.

Okurmur wants to be a lawyer and is optimistic that as long as he continues with the education path, his dreams will surpass the fear that comes with the conviction.

Gilbert Niwamanya, the inmate’s Headmaster told URN that several death-row inmates are positive about education and many have chosen the path as a ray of hope. He adds that education has transformed many inmates, especially those serving a long sentence, with the hope of coming out of prison one day.

“Usually when you go to the courts, the judges look at issues of reform, and many death row inmates have used this as something to show that they have reformed. This is because education teaches one discipline and patience among others” Niwamanya says.

He, however, hastens to add that the number of death row inmates enrolling for the education programme has reduced because the prison no longer receives people on death row, but are now mostly getting people who are serving lengthy jail terms.

Education in Luzira Prisons started in 1996 but was formalized in 2000 by the Ministry of Education and Sports and several prisoners have finished their Primary, Ordinary and Advanced Level in the Prisons.

12 death row inmates have gone through the education system in Luzira

For the past three years. Of these, four inmates completed senior four, two are currently pursuing a diploma in Entrepreneurship at Makerere University Business School, two others are in Senior four and two in Primary seven.

Currently, 20 death row inmates are studying in Luzira Maximum Security Prison in different classes. There are 480 death row inmates in the country currently.

Inmates at Upper Prison Inmates Secondary School registered a slight improvement in the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) of 2019 released on Friday. Of the 48 candidates that sat for senior four in 2019, none got division one, nine got division two, 14 scored in division three, 23 in division four and two failed.

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URN