NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 21 –Eight judges are set for deployment to newly established Environment and Land Courts across the country as the judiciary strives to promote access to justice.
The judges will begin duties in Nyamira, Kilgoris, Siaya, Kwale, Isiolo, Homa Bay and Nanyuki from August 1.
Chief Justice Martha Koome said the establishment of the new stations will enable expeditious disposal of cases while noting that land matters comprise about 60 per cent of cases adjudicated in courts.
“Approximately 60 per cent of cases adjudicated in our courts are land matters or have a land related dimension. The implication is that the Environment and Land Court either in its original or appellate jurisdiction deals with the bulk of cases in our courts,” she stated.
Koome who spoke at the end of an induction session in Nairobi on Wednesday also said the judiciary will deploy three new full-time judges of the Employment and Labour Relations Court to Kericho, Malindi and Bungoma.
“The ELRC has 13,500 cases pending, with the bulk of cases at 9,500 being in Nairobi. It has nine fully fledged registries in Nairobi, Kisumu, Kericho, Nyeri, Mombasa, Eldoret, Nakuru, Bungoma and Malindi,” the CJ explained.
Koome also committed to devolution of Small Claims Courts in regions from October after she over the swearing in of 2 adjudicators raising the number of adjudicators assigned to Nairobi’s Milimani Court to five.
She noted the courts are critical to the expansion of the formal justice system to unserved areas.
“The Judiciary seeks to devolve Small Claims Courts to additional parts of Nairobi and other regions from October. The courts will simplify procedures, facilitate timely proceedings and harness fairness at reasonable fees,” she said.
CJ Koome said the judiciary will also deploy adjudicators to Kasarani, Makadara, Dagoretti, Mathare and Embakasi where the Nairobi Metropolitan Services had pledged to build five additional Small Claims Courts within three months.
