CJ Maraga opens Bungoma Court building

Bungoma residents and Kenyans at large have been urged to solve their petty cases domestically instead of opting for a court process. This was said by Chief Justice David Maraga during the official opening of the new building at the Bungoma law courts.

Speaking during the event Justice Maraga said that residents should agree and solve petty cases easily at home rather than taking them to court to reduce the backlog of cases in Courts. He said that alternative dispute resolution mechanisms should be preferred to the judicial system. The Chief Justice added that all pending cases which have lasted for more than five years will be heard and ruled within the next one year in order to decongest the many pending cases in all courts.

“I urge domestic mechanisms in solving small and petty issues so as to help courts handle bigger cases with ease,” the newly appointed CJ said.

“I also want to tell all Kenyans that all pending cases in courts spanning the period of five years ago will be listened to and ruled out as soon as possible,” he added.

Furthermore, Chief Justice Maraga said that there is a plan to have all courts renovated in two years time, among them Siaya, Nyamira, Kajiado, Wajir, Ol-Kalou, Mombasa, and Meru Law Courts.

“We are renovating most courts all over the country to enable our staff work with ease,” he said.

He also urged the local media to educate the locals about what is entailed in the constitution, keeping in mind that it’s barely a year before the 2017 general elections.

“Let the local media houses in place set aside programmes intended to educate and enlighten locals on matters concerning the law,” he added.

Justice Maraga also said that to reduce congestions in Bungoma law courts, he had plans to digitalise all activities in the Kenyan Courts, in a bid to increase efficiency.

Bungoma County Governor Ken Lusaka who was also present at the event urged politicians to exercise tolerance even as the race towards the 2017 general Elections was gaining momentum.

On his side, the Speaker of the Bungoma County Assembly John Makali asked the judiciary to improve infrastructure, and at the same time, he applauded the work the judiciary was doing to improve the look of courts in the country.

He asked Chief Justice Maraga to hire more judiciary staff in Bungoma law courts for justice to be accessed easily.

Makali’s sentiments were echoed by Justice Samuel Mukunya, who is the Resident Magistrate Judge in Bungoma Law Courts, who asked the CJ to add to the current number of judges, magistrates, clerical staffs and typists to curb the current shortages that hamper the course of justice. Mukunya lamented that Bungoma law courts has completely no interpreters at the moment, asking the Judiciary department to improve on its sensitization of residents on opportunities availed by the department like the current Child service week, which he said had not been well publicised.

“I ask the CJ to increase our staff to enhance the efficient administration of the law. Currently, there are only three typists and one judge in the court, which has negatively affected us. We also don’t have an interpreter and it’s very hard to serve those people who do not understand English and Kiswahili well.”

He added that they will be building a high court soon on a land given to them by the Bungoma County Government headed by Governor Kenneth Lusaka.

Bungoma Law Courts have a backlog of more than 4500 cases, though that is still a result of the much efforts of the former outgoing Chief Justice Dr. Willy Mutunga.