70,000 cases pending in Mombasa courts

Some 70,000 to 90,000 cases are pending at the Mombasa law courts.  

High Court judge Patrick Otieno attributed the problem to a shortage of manpower. He said the courts lack the capacity to employ enough staff. 

At the magistrate’s court only 4,050 cases have been finalised, with 29,565 still active.

The neighbouring Tononoka magistrate court has at least 4,597 unsolved cases, with 349 having been concluded, while at the Shanzu magistrate court, 607 out of 4,614 cases have been finalised. 

Justice Otieno spoke at a media engagement forum in Mombasa. He said the Employment and Labour Relations Courts has closed 476 cases against 2,065 pending cases. The Kadhi Court has 416 pending cases and has dispensed with 48.

Otieno urged the government to provide the courts with enough resources to resolve the predicament. 

Chief magistrate Edna Nyaloti criticised the prosecutors for sensationalising some cases.

She said they intensify the magnitude of some cases, especially corruption, wasting the courts' time. 

The public was urged to use alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to help reduce the case backlog.

Court administrator Otieno Sakayo said they have put in place a mediation team. 

“After the cases are brought at the registry, the body looks at the intensity of the case, and a mediator is appointed to spearhead the process,” he said. 

Edited by R.Wamochie