Chaos broke out at the Milimani Law Courts on Tuesday after a group of
elderly women staged a dramatic protest over what they described as prolonged
delays and a missing court file in a long-running land dispute in Nairobi’s
South C area.
The women, some of whom said the case has been in court for more than 20
years, gathered outside the court precincts shouting and chanting in
frustration after allegedly learning that the file related to their matter
could not be traced in the court registry.
The women who could be seen with visible anguish, many with hands raised in
gestures of anger and despair, called on Chief Justice Martha Koome to
intervene
Some were personally heard chanting “Koome kuja hapa uvuruge hapa” while
others appealed to President William Ruto to step in.
The protest drew the attention of court users and passersby, with some
people recording the scenes on their phones as police officers stationed at the
court tried to calm the group and urged them to discuss the matter in a more
orderly manner.
Despite the officers’ efforts, the women continued expressing their
frustrations, saying they felt their quest for justice had been met with
repeated delays and setbacks.
According to the protesters, the land in question is in South C and has been
at the centre of a dispute that has dragged on for decades, with little
progress despite numerous court appearances.
The women said they hoped that senior judicial officers would take notice of
their plight and ensure that their case proceeds without further delay.
