Environment and Land Court (ELC) Principal Judge Oscar Angote has urged communities to find homegrown solutions to land disputes.
Justice Angote said this should happen by leveraging initiatives such as the recently established Nairobi Land Justice Working Group.
He said the working group is tasked with delving into comprehensive initiatives for enhancing land justice in Nairobi City County.
He spoke on Thursday during the ELC Open Day and tree planting in Korogocho.
"People should sit in committees, they should sit in groups to find solutions to their issues. That is why we encourage the community initiative that you have here in Korogocho and especially along the Nairobi River," he said.
Justice Angote said the Environment and Land Court is now 11 years old.
He added that ELC has witnessed a remarkable situation in the administration of land and environment justice.
"The court, initially, in 2014/2015 we had around 30,000 cases. But we have worked around the clock and we have reduced the cases to 16,000 as of 2021/2022," Justice Angote said.
Further, Justice Angote reiterated the need for urgent effective environmental management and sustainable land use practices.
He said the court will strive to uphold environmental management and sustainable land use practices in the face of recent flooding within the capital city and especially informal settlements where lives have been lost.
He said the Environment and Lands Courts are 40 in total across the country adding that the entire court was engaged in the tree planting exercise countrywide.
"The Open Day and tree planting event in Nairobi run concurrently in 40 counties where the Environment and Land Court has a presence countrywide," he said.
