The Judiciary in Makueni County plans to hold an open day on April 26, 2024, where members of the public will be educated about the court processes, Makueni Law Courts Chief Magistrate (CM) Mr. Peter Gesora has said.
Gesora said that the event will be held at Unoa Sports Ground, where Judicial Officers from Makindu, Tawa, Kilungu, and Makueni courts will interact with the public and explain to them what they do and how they can access the court processes.
“We will have a one-day event where members of the public will be told about the best practices here in our courts. They shall be told why people are released on bond or given bail,” said Gesora in a County Users Committee (CUC) chaired by Makueni High Court Presiding Judge Teresia Matheka at the court board room in Wote town on Thursday.
“Also, the people will have an opportunity to learn about e-filing and Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms, among other services offered by the court,” he said, revealing that the theme of the event is: “A Day for the Community with the Court.”
He also told other members of the county court users committee that they will have the opportunity to exhibit at the event, where they will explain to the members of the public the services they offer that supplement the court.
In this regard, the Chief Magistrate appealed to the members of the public to come out in large numbers to learn about the court processes.
During the meeting, he disclosed that all files at the court have been scanned, and anybody could know the status of their case by clicking a button.
“You can now know the status of your case by clicking a button since all files have been scanned. If Judicial Officers ask for bribes, come to us quietly, and we will take disciplinary action against them,” warned Gesora.
On her part, the Presiding Judge Matheka said that efforts should be made to make the public aware of the different alternative dispute resolution mechanisms that assist in decongesting “our prisons across the country.”
“We have plea bargaining, traditional, and diversion resolution systems that communities can use in settling disputes of both civil and criminal nature. If the people use these alternative resolution mechanisms, our prisons will be decongested as they will resolve their problems amicably,” said Matheka.
On illicit brews, the Presiding Judge said that alcohol abuse had rendered the youth very unproductive, stressing the need to work as a team in order to win the war on drugs and alcohol abuse.
Among those present are county heads from the National Administration, Health, Prisons, and Law Society of Kenya.
By Patrick Nyakundi
