Chief Justice David Maraga today inspected Voi Court Station’s up-coming 4-storey ultra-modern building funded by the World Bank under its Judicial Performance Improvement Program.
Construction of the new 350 million Court building, containing several Court rooms, Judges and Magistrates’ Chambers, a Library and Media Accreditation Centre, commenced in April 2017 but stopped shortly thereafter, due to what is believed to be financial year-end bottle-necks associated with the just-concluded, controversial General Elections. Messrs Concordia Building and Civil Engineers of Garissa beat several other rivals to win the highly contested building tender.
In a whirl-wind 3-day working tour of the Coast Province that, fortuitously and, by divine intervention, found him far away from Nairobi City’s ‘madding crowds’ that were hell-bent on swearing-in Raila Amolo Odinga as the ‘Peoples President”, the Chief Justice first visited Kwale Law Courts yesterday morning and and Msambweni later in the day, immediately whereafter he headed straight to Voi Law Courts from where he was expected to return to Mombasa for the remainder of his tight schedule.
The CJ’s Voi visit ended with a luncheon at the Andy Mark Hotel, Mwakingali hosted by members of the Court Users Committee headed by the Station’s Senior Principal Magistrate, Madam Ellena Nderitu. Also in attendance were the Chief Registrar of the High Court, Ms Anne Amadi, resident Judge Jacqueline Kamau, and several other high ranking Judiciary officials from Nairobi who accompanied the CJ.
Addressing members of Voi Court Users Committee, popularly known as “CUC” comprising representatives from various Departments and organizations that consume and partake of judicial services deemed stake-holders, including the local media, the CJ spoke on the Judiciary Transformation Framework whose aim is to facilitate easier access to Justice for all.
In response to the issues raised by the participants, the Chief Justice confirmed that he is looking into ways and means of establishing Land and Environmental Courts in as many Counties as possible, subject to availability of land and environment Judges, who are few at the moment. He was visibly touched, however, by the plea for mobile Courts in specific areas where residents’ access to justice is impeded by logistical challenges due to the long distances involved.
Earlier, a representative from the Law Society of Kenya, Voi Chapter had petitioned the CJ to consider, among other burning issues, elevating the Station to a Chief Magistracy whose pecuniary jurisdiction is higher than the Senior Principal Magistrate’s current Kenya Shillings 15 million ceiling, and, also, establishing mobile Courts to serve far-flung areas like Mbulia/Kishushe which are currently out of reach. A mobile Court has already been established in Kasigau and is now pending the filing of appropriate cases.
Besides the above, the ‘Learned Friends’ told the CJ to consider setting up a Land Cases Sub Registry urgently at Voi Station in anticipation of the ultimate establishment of a Lands and Environmental Court, instead of the current expensive, undesirable practice of litigating the cases far away in Mombasa despite the existence of Voi High Court currently presided by Judge Kamau who officially reported to the new Station in September, 2015.
During the official launch of the High Court Sub Registry in June 2014, Taita Taveta Governor, Eng. John Mtuta Mruttu, had spelled out his Government’s visionary plans of establishing the County Headquarters in Mgeno City, a stone’s throw away from Mwatate Township. The model County plans envisioned expansive grounds for the Judiciary’s needs, with adequate room for future expansion.
Duncan Mwanyumba,
Voi City, Tuesday, January 30, 2018
Duncan Mwanyumba is a practicing Advocate of the High Court of Kenya currently based in Voi City, former Coast Province of Kenya, a cultural enthusiast, and the serving President of the Rotary Club of Voi.
