Siaya is the leading county where judicial services are closer to the people, a senior judicial officer has said.
Lady Justice Anne Koros of the Siaya High Court’s Environment and Lands Court said that with the pending opening of courts in Usigu and Yala in Bondo and Gem constituencies, only one constituency in the county will remain without law courts.
She was speaking at Yala township where she, together with the Siaya high court presiding judge, Justice Daniel Ogembo led judicial staff and local leaders in planting trees at the proposed Yala law courts.
The officials also planted trees at the Yala police station and Yala township primary school.
Lady Justice Koros said the opening of the courts in virtually all the subcounties confirms the close working relationship and support that the local residents have been giving the judiciary.
“It is only in Ugunja subcounty where we do not have law courts but we expect to have one soon,” she said.
She said that under the judiciary framework, each subcounty in the republic is supposed to have a law court, with each county having a high court and an environment and lands court.
The presiding Siaya high court judge, Justice Ogembo called on the residents to take positively the opening of a court in their midst saying that judicial offices are there to dispense justice fairly without favouring any sides.
He said that once the renovations on the proposed Yala law court buildings are complete, the judiciary will post two magistrates to serve the residents.
The occasion was also addressed by the Gem Yala deputy county commissioner Mr. Evans Otieno, who hailed the cordial working relationship between the national administration officers and the judiciary.
Yala ward member of the county assembly, William Kinyanyi said that the court will save the residents the agony of spending a lot of money on transport to Siaya town to attend court sessions.
Kinyanyi urged the residents to support the government initiative of opening the courts in the area, adding that it will help open business opportunities in the town.
By Philip Onyango
