This archive report was first published on 16 August 2019.
On August 16, 2019, Chief Justice David Maraga visited Nyamira to officially open the new law courts building. During his visit, he highlighted the alarming rate of defilement cases in the country, which he attributed to a lack of mentorship among young people.
According to the Chief Justice, the majority of cases heard at the Nyamira law courts are criminal matters, with 86% of cases being related to violence emanating from land disputes and defilement. He emphasized the need for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms to resolve such disputes, rather than resorting to the courts.
Justice Maraga also commended the World Bank for their support in constructing the new court through the Judicial Performance Improvement Project (JPIP). The new facility provides a room for lactating mothers, in compliance with the Health Act 2017, Section 71.
Local leaders requested the Chief Justice to deploy an Environment and Land Court (ELC) judge in Nyamira to deal with the large number of land matters, to which he agreed. He also agreed to post an ELC judge to the station and to entrench mediation at the Nyamira law courts to help deal with succession matters expeditiously.
