Chief Justice Martha Koome has established new Court of Appeal stations in a move aimed at expanding access to justice across the country.
In a statement from Judiciary, CJ Koome gazetted additional Court of Appeal stations at Kakamega Law Courts and another at Meru, sitting at Nkubu Law Courts, bringing the total number of Court of Appeal stations to eight.
Chief Justice Koome has also established a Court of Appeal Sub-Registry at the Embu Law Courts in line with the Court of Appeal (Organization and Administration) Act bringing the total number of Sub-Registries are now five.
“Other Court of Appeal stations include Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Nyeri, Kisumu and Eldoret, while Malindi, Garissa, Kisii and Busia, are the other Sub-Registries established earlier by the CJ,” read the statement.
The expansion is part of the ongoing efforts to decentralise appellate services and enhance access to justice.
“The establishment of additional Court of Appeal stations in the country is part of ongoing efforts to decentralize appellate services and enhance access to justice. The expansion is expected to reduce distances travelled by litigants, advocates and other court users to access courts,” statement added.
Similarly the move is aimed at reducing costs for litigants seeking appellate justice, particularly in the Eastern and Western regions of the country.
At the same time, Judiciary scalled up the reach of Small Claims Court in the country by establishing new courts in Maua, Mumias, Molo, Kapsabet, Ngong, Kenol, Kiambu, Mavoko, Makueni, Kilifi, Kikuyu, Vihiga, Homa Bay, Bungoma and Nyamira bringing the total number to 55.
The move will significantly expand the availability of fast, affordable and simplified resolution of commercial and civil disputes involving relatively low monetary value.
“The expansion reflects the Judiciary’s continued commitment to bringing justice closer to the people and strengthening efficient service delivery through specialised courts and decentralized judicial infrastructure,” Judiciary noted.
According to Judiciary, by increasing the number of appellate and Small Claims Court stations, the Judiciary aims to ease case backlog, improve turnaround time and ensure that Kenyans can access justice more conveniently, within their local jurisdictions.
