National

Relief as Judiciary to build new court at Masalani in Ijara Constituency

Chief Justice Martha Koome speaks to journalists after a meeting in Mombasa of members of the National Council on the Administration of Justice. (Photo: File/X/Martha Koome)

By Barack Oduor | Tuesday, May 28, 2024

Chief Justice Martha Koome gazetted the establishment of the Masalani Magistrate's Court, which will be under the supervision of the Garissa High Court, in a notice dated May 27.

The Judiciary will build a court in the Masalani Township of Ijara Constituency, Garissa County, bringing relief to a community grappling with long-distance travel and other key issues in the pursuit of justice.

Chief Justice Martha Koome has gazetted the establishment of the Masalani Magistrate's Court, which will be under the supervision of the Garissa High Court.

Keep reading

She did this under the Civil Procedure Act, Cap. 21, Gazette Notice Number. 6271 of May 27.

Ijara MP Abdi Ali Abdi at a past event. He has successfully pushed for the Judiciary to build a court in Masalani Town in the constituency.(Photo: Ali Abdi Ali/Facebook)

Ijara MP Abdi Ali Abdi celebrated the announcement on Tuesday, saying his push to have the court established there followed several petitions to Judiciary officials.

"The establishment of the Masalani Magistrates Court was necessitated by the daily growing population of my constituency, the long distance to the nearest court, and the poor transport network," he explained.

Last June, the lawmaker wrote a letter to the Office of the Chief Registrar of the Judiciary, saying his constituents were disadvantaged by the long distances they travelled for court services.

"The nearest is the Garissa Law Courts, which is 300 kilometres away. Accessing it is very difficult due to distance and transport-related challenges such as poor roads and high costs," he said in the letter.

He pleaded for a court in Masalani, the constituency headquarters, noting that it was convenient for Ijara and all neighbouring counties.

"I affirm my willingness to give all necessary support to your office as we take services closer to our people," he said.

Other court stations will be established in Sigor and Konyao in Kapenguria, and Lokichar, under Lodwar.

The Chief Justice has been urging the government to prioritise increasing funding for the Judiciary during the budget-making process to end problems contributing to the backlog of cases.

The Judiciary has faced challenges including a lack of enough courts, with some officers forced to work in shifts, which has delayed the hearing and determination of cases.