Chief Justice Martha Koome on Friday established three new High Court stations in Nyandarua, Thika and Kibera.
She has also established a new Environment and Land Court (ELC) in Nyandarua.
Nyandarua people have a reason to celebrate as there has been no High Court based in Nyandarua since independence. Litigants have been served by the High Court at Nyahururu or Naivasha.
The new Nyandarua High Court will be housed in the new Ol-Kalou Law Courts building set to be commissioned by the Chief Justice on August 31, 2023. It will have supervisory jurisdiction over Engineer Magistrate’s Court and Ol-Kalou Magistrate’s Court.
Further the Chief Justice has also created an Environment and Land Court at Nyandarua to be based at the Ol-Kalou Law Courts building with effect from August 25, 2023.
Thika High Court has also been established by the CJ with effect from August 25, 2023. The High Court will have supervisory jurisdiction over Gatundu, Ruiru and Thika Magistrate’s Courts.
The third High Court to be established by the Chief Justice is the Kibera High Court.
It will have supervisory jurisdiction over Kibera, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and Kahawa Magistrate’s Courts. The effective date is September 15, 2023.
The High Court stations have been created pursuant to the powers conferred upon the Chief Justice by Section 12(1) of the High Court (Organization and Administration) Act, 2015) while the Environment and Land Court has been created pursuant to the Environment and Land Court Act No. 19 of 2011.
The High Court now has presence in 46 counties out of 47 either through a full-fledged High Court or Sub-Registry. The only outstanding County is Wajir where a Sub-Registry is diarized to be commissioned soon.
The Judiciary is prioritizing the establishment of a High Court in every county as envisaged in the Constitution 2010.
