The Judiciary has kicked-off the process of constructing a Court of Appeal in Meru County at a cost of Sh630million.
Speaking during the handover of the one-acre site to the contractor, Meru Law Courts Presiding Judge, Edward Murithi, said the Court is meant to serve the entire Mount Kenya and some parts of Eastern regions.
“The construction of the Court of Appeal in Meru is one of the efforts by the Judiciary to bring services closer to the people and to see to it that justice is served expeditiously in the shortest time possible,” Justice Murithi said.
He said the six-story building will also house other courts, including Labour, Environment and the High Court meaning that people will access services from a common point, which will in turn save time for litigants.
The Judiciary’s Assistant Director-In-Charge of Architectural Services, Jaffar Mosheh, said the building will be the first of its kind by the Judiciary and will include a basement and a spacious parking lot.
“We have never had any other six-storey building and this will also be constructed in the latest technology in addition to housing all the courts in a single building,” noted Mosheh.
Meru County’s Land and Physical Planning Executive (CEC), Jeremiah Lenya, said the County Government is ready to partner with the Judiciary in the project that will see to it that residents get justice in the shortest time possible.
He said the County Government sat down with the judiciary in 2020 and agreed to offer the one-acre piece of land within the Meru municipality for construction of the court which is also part of the bigger plan of growing the municipality.
“The project will have great social and economic implications to the County Government and residents in general and this is the reason we will give any required assistance to the end of the project,” said Mr Lenya.
The building is set to be complete by June 2023.
In addition to this the Judiciary has also partnered with the County Government to come up with Municipal Courts where petty offenders relating to contravening of the Municipality By-Laws will be dealt with.
The Sh60million three-storey building will incorporate the Municipal Courts, two Magistrate Courts at the ground floor and municipal offices in the next two floors.
Whereas the Country Government will do the construction bit, the Judiciary will provide all the judicial officers required to run the courts.
By Dickson Mwiti
