The Judiciary has established an Environment and Land Court in Voi, Taita Taveta, to deal with the land cases in the region.
The first batch of cases that have been ongoing in Mombasa will be heard at the new court at Voi from Monday next week.
This will be a reprieve for Taita Taveta residents who are forced to travel to Mombasa to seek services from the ELC.
Taita Taveta Governor Andrew Mwadime lauded the decision, saying the county government will work closely with the Judiciary to conduct public sensitisation forums so residents can learn different court processes.
The sensitisation, Mwadime said, will also give feedback about the public's experience and make proposals on improvement of services in the court. He said the move is key in making justice accessible, affordable and timely for residents.
“The innovation and active role being played by the Judiciary to bring social order and justice closer to the people is commendable,” Governor Mwadime said.
He spoke when he hosted a delegation from the Judiciary, led by Voi High Court presiding judge George Dulu on Wednesday.
The county boss said many families have gone bankrupt because of disputes that require them to travel to Mombasa in pursuit of justice.
Mwadime asked the Judiciary to consider opening a law court in Mwatate town to further devolve services to the grassroots.
"We are asking the judiciary to introduce some court sessions or set up a court in Mwatate. This will make it easy and affordable for people to access these essential services," he said.
Justice Dulu said the Judiciary is working on strategies to decongest prisons and reduce case backlog in courts through promoting alternative justice systems (AJS).
AJS, Dulu said, will make accessibility to justice affordable and less time consuming thus helping many families avoid the agony of wasting their scarce resources in search of justice.
“There are cases that can be resolved through alternative dispute resolution especially on land dispute and succession matters. This will help reduce case backlog,” Justice Dulu said.
He said the court is working with the court users association groups to ensure easy access to justice to all residents.
