By Wangari Kanyongo
Chief Justice Martha Koome has officially launched the Garissa County Alternative Justice Systems County Action Plan, the Garissa AJS Model, and the Al-Islaah Justice Centre, marking a significant milestone in the Judiciary’s efforts to promote community-based dispute resolution.
Koome noted that the Al-Islaah Justice Centre will serve not only as a hub for resolving disputes but also as a powerful cultural symbol of peace, dialogue, and unity.
She emphasized that justice is not solely about punishment, but about restoration, mending broken bonds and fostering lasting peace within society.
The Chief Justice noted the significance of the launch, stating that the Judiciary was recognizing and elevating the Maslaha system and other indigenous mechanisms that have served as the backbone of dispute resolution in Garissa for generations.
She acknowledged that formal courts alone cannot handle the full burden of disputes, particularly in counties where vast distances, illiteracy, and poverty limit access to the justice system.
The Garissa AJS Model is designed as a hybrid system, drawing from three interconnected streams: the autonomous mechanisms such as elders and religious leaders, the court-annexed panels embedded in the Garissa Law Courts, and state-based institutions such as the National Government Administration Officers like the Chiefs and Assistant Chiefs.
With the launch of the 12th AJS County Action Plan, Garissa now joins eleven other counties that have implemented similar frameworks, advancing the Judiciary’s mission of delivering accessible, people-centered justice across Kenya.
