The long journey for residents Lari residents in Kiambu county to seek justice has left many arbitrating cases in the villages.
The one they cannot solve, they take to the chief’s offices or decide to travel long distances to seek justice at Limuru law courts.
Limuru Law Courts serve Limuru, Lari and Ndeiya subcounties.
Efforts by leaders to lobby for a law court have finally bore fruits.
Lari MP Mburu Kahangara revealed that the Judiciary had asked them to identify a place the judicial officers could operate from within the constituency.
Mburu said after much consultation with other leaders, they resolved to allow the officers to use the Youth Empowerment Centre which is currently occupied by Lari-Kirenga assistant county commissioner Evelyne Moraa to deliberate on cases.
“That is where we proposed that the court will start operating from as we wait for a court to be built. We have faced a lot of challenges to seek justice,” he said.
Mburu spoke at Rukuma on Thursday where he inspected the ongoing registration of Inua Jamii beneficiaries. He was accompanied by Kiambu Senator Karungo Thang'wa.
Kahangara said the drive has registered more than 3,000 people living with disabilities, elderly as well as orphans.
Residents expressed their joy by saying the temporary court would give swift justice and save time and money as they recounted how it has been tough to get justice.
“Going to Limuru to attend a court case means I have to use three public vehicles and I’m expected to be in court by 9 am, so I leave home at 5 am which is very strenuous and costly,” Johnson Mwangi, a resident Gatamaiyu resident said.
“When your neighbour’s son steals a hen, a jembe or any other thing, we don't go to the police station since you will be referred to court where you will spend thousands on fare to get justice for an item worth less than the amount spent on travel. So we just arbitrate such cases.
“We report major cases like murder, rape and others. You will even find people failing to report robbery cases."
Another resident Joseph Thanga from Githirioni said they have a land disagreement case and they fear taking it to a court owing to the distance.
“We have tried arbitrating at home but we failed. We called local elders who advised us to go to a court of law, but we have never gone," he said.