Tobiko said if given the go-ahead, the office will employ 267 additional legal staff, 74 prosecution assistants and 74 non-legal staff/FILE
In a letter to Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich, the Director of Public Prosecution Keriako Tobiko said his office had up to Sh137 million in savings from personal emoluments, that could cater for the recruitment.
Tobiko said if given the go-ahead, the office will employ 267 additional legal staff, 74 prosecution assistants and 74 non-legal staff.
The office of the ODPP wants the recouped Sh137million to be included as the Treasury prepares its supplementary budget.
“The purpose of this letter is to remind you of our earlier request and seek the National Treasury authority to immediately commence the recruitment process. We confirm the availability of funds in the 2013/14 budget to meet the resultant expenditure,” Tobiko said.
He says with the ongoing expansion of the Judiciary through the recruitment of more judicial officers who will be deployed across the country, it is crucial that his office to be able to match and complement these efforts.
“Without corresponding expansion of the ODPP, and recruitment of additional Prosecution Counsel, there is likely to be increased backlog of cases and hence delay in dispensation of justice,” Tobiko cautioned.
The DPP says as at July last year, his office was operating at 28.9 percent of the required number of staff. The number of legal staff stood at 169 out of the required 927 while the non-legal staff was 207 out the required 370.
He however says the situation has slightly improved with the recruitment of additional officers who joined the office in December 2013, after the office was given Sh167.4 million to facilitate the process.
The legal staff number now stands at 248 while that of non-legal staff is 276.
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