15 judges head to Kisumu to clear pending cases

Fifteen judges have been dispatched to Kisumu Law Courts to start hearing more than 75 pending criminal cases that have dragged since 2014.

The move comes a few days after 11 more Court of Appeal judges were selected to clear a backlog of cases   across the country.

Four benches comprising of three judges each are expected to report to Kisumu from Monday, where they will sit for a week, to clear cases that have dragged in the courts in the last three years.

The team will be led by the President of the Court of Appeal Justice William Ouko.

20 CASES

Kisumu Court of Appeal Deputy Registrar Ms Joane Wambilyanga said each bench will listen to five cases translating to 20 cases daily.

"The president of the court of appeal will be here for a week and will also visit the prisons around to get to hear from the inmates who have appeals," said Ms Wambilyanga.

The visit is a follow up of another Mr Ouko made in April.

He indicated that upon the judges’ return to Nairobi, they will deal with appeals in the courts filed between 2017and 2019.

Justice Ouko said they intend to clear or reduce the backlog of the pending 1,500 appeals and applications made in Kisumu within the next two years.

Since his election as president Mr Ouko has been visiting courts across the country.

MEETING INMATES

He has also been visiting prisons and meeting inmates with cases at the courts of appeal across the country.

Earlier, he had claimed the shortage being witnessed in the court of appeal had contributed to the huge backlog.

While touring Vihiga two weeks ago, Chief Justice David Maraga directed judges and magistrates to clear all cases that have been pending in courts for the last five years by the end of this year.

He said the judiciary had adopted a system of clearing a backlog of cases that have been in court for long.

MODERN BUILDING

In a bid to bring justice closer to the people the Chief Justice said, 56 new courts are under construction across the country, 31 of them being funded by the government and the rest by the World Bank.

"Judges and magistrates should give priority to such cases. By the end this year, I don't want to see a case that is over four years still in court,” he stated.

In Kakamega, the new modern High Court building under construction in Kakamega at a cost of Sh388.7 million will be ready for use in December.

In Vihiga, the CJ opened new courts constructed at a cost of Sh78.4 million.

Additional Reporting by Derick Luvega