Relief For Residents As Judiciary Inaugurates A High Court in Kiambu.

Principal Judge Richard Mwongo, who is also the administrator head of judges in Kenya, has said that the inauguration of a High Court station in Kiambu Town was expected to speed up the delivery of justice and to de-congest the overloaded Milimani High Court which has 50,000 cases.

More than 11,000 cases pending in Kiambu will now be dispensed faster following the appointment of a High Court judge to man the area. Justice Joel Ngugi will preside over cases lodged at Kiambu and Thika as well as matters emanating from Murang'a County.

  

Speaking on Monday during the official opening, Mwongo said this was the 36th High Court in the country.

“Thika and Kiambu account for 11,000 cases filed at Milimani. Many of them will be returned to Kiambu especially those whose hearing has not gone too far,” Justice Mwongo said.

The Chief Registrar of the Judiciary Anne Amadi told residents that it will be upon  the people of  Kiambu decide  where the court will eventually be located –  Thika or Kiambu.

“We will not be involved in saying where the court will be situated here in Kiambu. Once Kiambu people make the decision, the Judiciary will move the Judge accordingly. In the meantime, it will seat in Kiambu, with the Judge moving to hear matters in Thika for a period of one week every month. Thika will have a High Court Sub-Registry to file matters,” said Amadi.

Governor William Kabogo said that the county government will get 5 acres of land where the court will be built.

"We are glad that people will not wait long to get justice, thanks to immediate former chief justice Willy Mutunga who has seen more than 36 high courts established across the country," Kabogo said.

  

The Governor lauded the move to bring justice closer to Kiambu residents but appealed to the Judiciary to consider posting an Environment and Land judge to the County, given the volume of litigation in Kiambu involving land matters.

The new Presiding Judge, Justice Ngugi, promised fast and efficient service delivery by the new court.

Prof Ngugi, who was the Head of the Judiciary Transformation Secretariat under former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, promised to transform Kiambu High Court to make it the “model court in delivery of justice, with superior client experience and quality jurisprudence.”

Kiambu High Court will have oversight jurisdiction over several Magistrates Courts’ including Thika, Limuru, Githunguri and Gatundu.