Months after the Alternative Justice System (AJS) was introduced at the Kenol Law Courts, Murang’a South subcounty, the judiciary has made remarkable progress as it seeks to reduce the backlog and ensure a speedy resolution of cases.
As of now, the local case clearance stands at 79 per cent, and Kenol Court ranks as one of the best performing facilities in the country, in a sheer commitment to excellence in the delivery of justice.
Area Senior Resident Magistrate Sheila Nyagah observed that since its operationalisation on November 12, 2022, the court has had a workload of 8054 filed cases, while 6383 of them had been fully resolved.
“As of September 4, 2024, we had handled a total of 8054 cases, including 1616 civil suits and 6438 criminal trials,” she said.
“Further, as a court, we have managed to resolve 6383 litigations from the case workload, and currently the pending backlog stands at 869 civil and 802 criminal cases,” added Nyagah.
The Magistrate noted that the court has also embraced the multi-door policy in regard to the Alternative Justice System (AJS), which was introduced in April 2024.
“Of the 57 matters referred to the AJS, 24 matters have been fully finalised and settled, seven have collapsed, 25 cases are still pending, and one warrant of arrest has been issued,” she stated.
Nyagah further lauded the AJS panel, which includes elders, sub-chiefs, chiefs, the Deputy County Commissioner’s offices in Murang’a South and Ithanga, the Office of Director of Public Persecutions, and lawyers, for facilitating resolution of the disputes that would have otherwise burdened the court had they taken the formal route.
Meanwhile, the court looks forward to having a Small Claims Court and Court Annexed Mediation, which will enhance a speedy resolution of future disputes in Kenol town, which is a highly expanding business hub.
Previously, area residents were forced to travel to the neighbouring Kigumo sub-county to access justice, which was both time-consuming and expensive.
However, with the onset of the Kenol law courts, people are now able to access justice efficiently, as the facility is committed to enhancing public trust and confidence in the whole judicial system.
By Florence Kinyua
