Financially Empower Justice System To Combat Graft In Kenya – EU

NAKURU,Kenya, Dec, 1 – The European Union (EU) says that for the war against graft to be won in Kenya, key players such as those in the justice system must be empowered for this to be realized.

EU reiterated calls by other stakeholders to have funding increased for the judiciary in a move aimed at strengthening public trust and confidence in the system.

The judiciary has publicly for years faulted various administrations including president Uhuru Kenyatta’s government for failing to properly fund them. Failure of which is said to have resulted in the increased backlog of cases nationwide.

Several of its services have also been impaired.

During the annual National Legal aid conference on access to justice, EU head of Delegation in Kenya Alexandre Baron said that investing in the justice system was a sure way of ensuring timely dispensation of justice.

“The EU is committed to supporting the justice system in Kenya which, if well-funded, will be able to investigate and prosecute corruption cases,” he said.

So far the EU as invested at least Sh4.3B in various programmes among them supporting the vulnerable groups to get justice.

Baron also said that the COVID-19 pandemic brought about various challenges and even opportunities to the justice justice system. 

“If rights of the inmates in the congested prisons are violated, the prisons can turn out to be fertile grounds for organized crime and radicalization,” he said.

Justice Hellen Wasilwa from the Employment and Labor court admitted that the pandemic was to blame for the increased backlog of cases – Recent hiring of magistrates and judges hopefully is expected to address the matter.

“The lockdown did affect courts operations but the judiciary has moved forward to address the backlog of cases by hiring more judges as part of faster dispensation of justice,” she said.