Kericho County to set up of inspectorate arm and court

County executives have adopted a proposal that paves the way for the formulation of the County Inspectorate Act.

Once the county assembly passes the bill, it will make way for the setting up of an autonomous inspectorate arm equivalent to the county police.

A county court will also be established to deal swiftly with those who contravene county bylaws.

“We are going to request Chief Justice David Maraga to provide us with a magistrate; the county will provide prosecutors. Therefore, if anyone is arrested for contravening county bylaws, the individual will be taken directly to the county court to face charges,” said Lands, Housing and Physical Planning Executive Barnabas Ng'eno

Mr Ng'eno said at ward level, tribunals would be formed to deal with breaches of law.

“Cases such as littering and other minor violations will be dealt with at ward level. Justice in the form of fines and other sentences will be swift. Only serious issues will be forwarded to the county court,” he said.

Ng'eno said with the county judicial system in place as well as functional municipalities and county physical development regularisation, now in form of a bill forwarded to the county assembly for debate, the county stood a better chance of correcting the “messes” created in urban areas against physical planning regulations.

“Once the county assembly passes the County Physical Development Regularisation Bill, we will have a better way to correct the messes created previously.”

“The County Physical Development Regularisation Bill will help us to clean master plan maps. We will either amend the maps or amend what is on the ground,” he added.

Kericho is grappling with land grabbers who have fraudulently acquired land earmarked for public utilities.

“We will roll back the moves and demolish the structures built on such land or regularise them. Some people were allocated plots but they are yet to be developed,” said Ng'eno.