KAKAMEGA, The halls of Kakamega County Headquarters were filled with purpose this afternoon as Chief Justice and President of the Supreme Court, Hon. Justice Martha Koome, led a Judiciary delegation on a courtesy call focused on one thing: bringing justice closer to the people.Welcoming the delegation, he noted that the visit comes at a time when Kakamega residents are already feeling the impact of devolved judicial services.
“We reflected on the progress achieved together,” Barassaid. “The establishment of the Court of Appeal in Kakamega and the Small Claims Court in Mumias has taken justice out of Nairobi boardrooms and placed it within walking distance of our mama mboga, our boda rider, our teacher.”Justice Koome said the Judiciary’s assessment tour was deliberate to listen, not just to inspect.
“Our mandate is not complete if a citizen in Likuyani or Malava must travel for hours and spend money they don’t have to seek justice. That is why we are here to understand the justice needs of Kakamega County and to build partnerships that expand access.” she said.
From those consultations came concrete commitments. Where the County and Judiciary agreed on the establishment of a Magistrate’s Court in Likuyani, and welcomed ongoing plans for a County Court at Kakamega Law Courts to strengthen enforcement of county legislation.
However, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Hon. Renson Ingonga, who was present alongside members of the Judicial Service Commission, emphasized collaboration between institutions.“Justice is a chain,” Ingonga said from arrest to prosecution to adjudication, we must pull together. Kakamega is showing us how that can work.
To ease pressure on the formal courts, Fernandes Barasa pledged to establish an Alternative Justice System centered on mediation and community-based dispute resolution.“Courts should be the last stop, not the first,” he added.
“If elders, religious leaders and community mediators can resolve a land or family matter under the Alternative Justice System, then we free up our magistrates to handle criminal and complex civil cases. That is how we cut backlogs and restore trust.”
Justice Koome welcomed the move, calling it “the future of justice delivery in the counties. “As the delegation departed, the message was clear, courts, county government, and communities must work as one”,she said.