‘Winter’ in Luzira prison library pays off
Benjamin Kamugisha continued his dream of getting an education while in Luzira prison. Photo by Abubaker Lubowa
The first thing you notice about Benjamin Kamugisha, 31, is his humble demeanour. The conspicuous rosary around his neck probably has a lot to do with his humbleness. But, what really stands out about the young man is that two months ago, he was released from death row in Luzira Upper Maximum Prison.
“I was arrested in Isingiro District in 2001 and remanded for two years. I was 16 at the time and in Senior Two. Of course, like any other teenager, I had dreams, and one of them was to complete my education and become a doctor,” Kamugisha says.
Education
After his arrest, that dream was shattered. He was remanded for two years and in 2003, he was tried in Mbarara High Court, sentenced to death, and then transferred to the condemned section of Luzira prisons.
“I appealed the sentence but I was unsuccessful. Fortunately, with the encouragement of fellow inmates, I joined Upper Prison School and completed my O-Level in 2008. In 2010, I sat for my A-Level examinations after which, I applied for a certificate course in Entrepreneurship from Makerere University Business School.”
After graduating, Kamugisha decided to upgrade his certificate to a diploma.
At the same time, he also enrolled for a Diploma in Common Law from the University of London, which he completed in 2014.
What drove him?
Kamugisha says inmates only encourage those who have made up their mind not to be pulled down by their circumstances.
“If you do not have the desire to study, even if you are encouraged you will not pursue it. A number of inmates do not go to school even when the education is free. They think their life ended when they were sentenced. I had a desire and when the opportunity presented itself, I grabbed it.”
Stress and depression is also associated with prison life but Kamugisha says these two evils can only bring you down if you are not focused on your goal. “My goal was to become free someday and I remained focused. There were times when I was down. You cannot control your situation in prison. For instance, you could only revise your books when you were allowed to yet studying Law is not easy. Those moments gave me stress, wondering if I would ever achieve what I had determined to.”
Going free
Immediately after completing his diploma, Kamugisha enrolled for an LLB in Common Law from the same university.
In 2009, a group of prisoners on the Condemned Section went to the Constitutional Court to challenge the legality of the death penalty. Following the ruling, all those on death row were given the go ahead to return to the High Court for mitigation.
“I had acquired enough legal knowledge to prepare my mitigation grounds. Because I did not have funds to hire a lawyer, court gave me a State lawyer whom I aided in the legal work. On March 29, 2016, I went for the mitigation hearing in the High Court.”
Kamugisha’s sentence was reduced to a custodial sentence of 18 years. According to the prisons counting system, since he had been in prison for 15 years, he was released immediately.
“It was an overwhelming moment. I had thought about freedom for a long time, but now it had come suddenly. I could not believe it.
But I had to spend one more night in prison because the verdict was given late. That night helped calm me down. When I walked out of the gates the next morning, my sponsors at the African Prisons Project (APP) were waiting for me. They welcomed me.”
Life now
APP is still providing for and accommodating Kamugisha, who is now in his second year studying for the LLB. “I am with new people who are not prisoners, so life is good.
I have not yet gone back home but I have been in touch with my brothers. With time, I think they will be in a position to come and visit me.”
In five years, he hopes to become a lawyer who will help alleviate the suffering of prisoners. “All these years I saw people suffering in prison not because they deserve to, but because they lack money to hire advocates. It is within my dream to do something for those who are in need.”
