Embu Chief Magistrate Francis Kyambi wants the rule requiring criminal cases to be mentioned every 14 days to be changed as a way of helping clear court backlogs.
Kyambi is now proposing that suspects only appear in court for mentions when there are unforeseen developments in the cases such as when they reconcile with their accusers and the cases needed to be withdrawn.
He said to facilitate the new arrangement, a channel of communication should be opened where suspects in remand can send a note to the court, if they want to be heard and the magistrate allocates time for a mention.
Kyambi was speaking during the Embu Chief Magistrate’s Court Users Committee meeting, where prisons and police officers had expressed difficulties in the shuttling of suspects from prison to courts only for mentions saying the huge numbers involved were a logistical nightmare.
The Magistrate concurred with the sentiments saying the huge numbers also took up valuable court time when the circumstances in the case had not changed.
A representative of children’s charity Lumos, Grace Mwangi, said they will be working with the Embu law courts to establish a play area for children who find themselves in the court precincts for one reason or another.
Meanwhile, the Small Claims Court will be rolled out at the Embu courts next week to take care of cases involving small amounts and will have relaxed rules of procedures to make it cost-effective for litigants.
By Steve Gatheru
