GASABO - The Senate has turned down a proposal to punish people who wrongly accuse others of genocide ideology, a member of the lower chamber has confirmed.

Hon. Evariste Kalisa said that Members of the Parliament had proposed that anyone who wrongly accused another of harbouring genocide ideology, should serve half the sentence the wrongly accused person would have served if found guilty. The proposal was in article 13 of the draft law that punishes the crime of genocide ideology. 

Kalisa added that the Senate challenged the idea saying that a person who wrongly accuses another of Genocide ideology does not have same intentions as someone with the ideology.

"We agreed with the Senate that someone who wrongly accuses the other of the ideology should be punished for perjury, as stipulated by the penal code,” Kalisa said. He added that MPs had agreed with the amendments and are still working on the changes in the draft. 

Some parliamentarians had opposed the article arguing that it would discourage people from reporting those harbouring the ideology.

Those in support of the punishment pointed out that it would discourage people from false accusations with the intention of black mailing.

Those who abstained were of the view that it would be difficult to prove the crime since in most cases the ideology is not obvious and is usually practiced in private.

The Bill was introduced months after damning revelations that showed the genocide ideology was widespread in schools.

According to the law, anybody who kills another for ethnic reasons will be jailed for life. There will be no pardon or reduction of sentences for those found guilty.

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