Move Telkom masts, urge judges

PHOTO | FILE The Elgon Place building in Upper Hill, Nairobi, where the Court of Appeal is supposed to relocate.

By  Jeremiah Kiplang'at

What you need to know:

  • Judges of the Court of Appeal were scheduled to move to the Elgon Place building in mid-September, but refused saying the masts would harm their health
  • The Court of Appeal needs to move to premises separate from the Supreme Court because of the increased number of judges

The Judiciary now wants a telecommunications company to remove the masts near the Court of Appeal in Upper Hill, Nairobi.

Chief Justice Willy Mutunga on Wednesday said discussions with Telkom-Kenya to remove the masts had started.

This was one of the four resolutions arrived at following a meeting held on Wednesday.

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Judges of the Court of Appeal were scheduled to move to the Elgon Place building in mid-September, but refused saying the masts would harm their health.

Last week, the judges met the Chief Justice and agreed to continue hearing cases from the Supreme Court premises.

CONCERNS DELIBERATED

Dr Mutunga (right) told the judges on Friday that their fears were valid and decided to call for the meeting in a bid to unlock the deadlock.

Purchase of the controversial building was part of the questions the Chief Registrar of the Judiciary has been asked to respond to.

The meeting hosted by the CJ was attended by officials from the Radiation Protection Board of Kenya, the National Environment Management Authority, the Communications Commission of Kenya, the Law Society of Kenya, Mazingira Ltd, Dr Muthumbi Waweru of the University of Nairobi and the Court of Appeal judges.

Top on the agenda was whether or not the building was safe.

The meeting concluded that a joint technical committee of the agencies represented at Wednesday’s meeting be set up to carry out a comprehensive study and present a report within six months.

The committee is also expected to hand in the terms of reference by October 7, and the study to start immediately.

Earlier, the LSK commissioned an independent expert study on the safety of the building, but dismissed its consultants last week, suggesting that their investigations might have been compromised.

The Court of Appeal needs to move to premises separate from the Supreme Court because of the increased number of judges.

There is also a desire to deal with the large volume of work the court was expected to conclude quickly.

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