Increase Judiciary funding to curb delays, Advocate Nzau says

Advocate and journalist Nzau Musau on Spice FM. [Screengrab]

Advocate and journalist Nzau Musau has called for increased funding for the Judiciary to ensure speedy and timely resolution of cases.

Speaking on Spice FM on Thursday, September 25, Musau said judges and magistrates require more training, while the country also needs additional court stations to improve the quality of judgments delivered.

"Without enough funding in the Judiciary, courts lack judges, magistrates, and staff. This leads to delays and huge case backlogs, denying people timely justice," Nzau said.

He added that underfunding has also affected the quality of judicial officers hired, feeding into concerns raised by his colleagues.

Recently, former Law Society of Kenya president Nelson Havi accused a judge of receiving bribes amounting to millions of shillings to invalidate critical documents in a case. Havi also accused the Judiciary of abetting corruption while faulting all three arms of government.

Chief Justice Martha Koome has also raised concerns about rising graft allegations within the Judiciary. Speaking during this year's Magistrates and Kadhis colloquium in Naivasha, she warned of strict action against offenders.

"Allegations of graft in the Judiciary cannot be ignored. We must ensure a corruption-free system, as the public has great faith in us," she said.

According to Musau, such cases of corruption reflect both the quality of the people hired and the laws implemented, adding that many are not committed to upholding the rule of laws.