Chief Justice Willy Mutunga decries increasing defilement cases in Kenya's Western Region

KAKAMEGA: Chief Justice Dr Willy Mutunga has bemoaned the high cases of defilement that are rampant in Western Region, terming them a crisis.

During his tour of the region, Dr Mutunga said that the cases had been raised both in his meetings at Busia, Kakamega, Bungoma and Vihiga.

Mutunga said that a taskforce will be set so as to investigate the cases and come up with a report that will be used to tackle the menace.

“The defilement cases in the Western Region are a crisis that needs to be dealt with and residents should help in this matter,” the CJ said.

He spoke at the Vihiga Principal Magistrates Court in Vihiga County during his tour of the Western Region last week.

He was accompanied by Presiding Court of Appeal Judge Justice David Maraga, Justice John Mwera, Justice Aggrey Muchelule, and Kakamega High Court judge Justice Ruth Sitati, among others.  

He further said a Sh70 million High Court will be constructed in Vihiga County starting May this year.

The project that is sponsored by World Bank is in a bid to curb the backlog of cases and congestion of the available few courts in the region that rely on the Kakamega and Kisumu High Courts.

Mutunga said that it will be upon the residents to supervise and see that the person tasked with construction of the court does exemplary work.

“The people must make sure that the court that has been constructed is up to the set standards,” Mutunga said.

Earlier in the day, the Chief Justice had paid Governor Moses Akaranga a courtesy call in his office at Mbale town, where he agreed to the county liaising with the Kakamega High Court in the establishment of the county courts at Mbale town.

County commissioner Boaz Cherutich said that the county faced a challenge of getting land for the construction of another court in Emuhaya, but noted that there was goodwill from the people in the region who are ready to give the small pieces of land available.