This archive report was first published on 16 October 2019.
Published on October 16, 2019, a report by the Daily Nation highlighted the alarming issue of case delays in the country's justice system.
With a staggering backlog of 327,928 cases, nearly half of them having dragged on for more than three years, the system is indeed failing to deliver justice in a timely manner.
As Chief Justice David Maraga's judicial reform agenda aims to clear the huge backlog, the old adage 'justice delayed is justice denied' could not be more relevant.
For victims of sexual abuse, the long wait to see their tormentors punished only adds to their pain and suffering, making it difficult for them to move on with their lives.
One such example is the Makindu court in Makueni County, where over 200 defilement and rape cases have been pending since 2014, a clear indictment of the justice system.
While a group of visiting magistrates has joined their colleagues to help tackle the backlog, a more robust and comprehensive effort is urgently required to clear the backlog and restore justice to its rightful place.
