Bungoma
Law Courts were on Tuesday thrust into mourning and confusion after a
75-year-old man collapsed and died while waiting for the hearing of his case.
The
man, who had a pending matter before the Environment and Land Court, reportedly
arrived at the court compound around 9 a.m. appearing visibly unwell.
According to a Judiciary statement, he was
ferried to the courts on a motorcycle and was quickly noticed by staff.
A customer care officer issued him a Priority
Card, normally reserved for the elderly, expectant mothers, persons with
disabilities, and the sick, to help him access faster services.
Despite
being advised, the man chose to wait for his advocate after learning that his
matter would be mentioned later in the day.
He lay on the grass outside the court compound
accompanied by his brothers.
When
a court official later approached to update him on the case, he was found
unresponsive.
Bungoma
County Police Commander Anderson Njagi confirmed the incident, saying the man
had a history of heart disease.
“The
deceased is from Chwele and had a history of heart complications according to
investigations,” Njagi said.
Medics
and police were called to the scene and confirmed the man had died. His body
was processed before being moved to the Bungoma County Referral Hospital
morgue.
Court sessions were briefly suspended as staff, police, and medics handled the situation, though normalcy later resumed.
The
Judiciary has since extended condolences to the family, saying his name will be
released once next of kin are informed.
The
tragedy has amplified concerns over safety and health preparedness within court
precincts, especially following a separate incident just weeks earlier when
five people were injured after a firearm accidentally discharged inside the
same law courts.
That
incident, which happened in September, occurred in High Court No. 2 during a
criminal hearing.
A
Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officer’s gun discharged one
round, with the bullet ricocheting and injuring a prison officer, the DCI
officer himself, and three civilians.
Njagi
at the time said initial investigations indicated the discharge was accidental.
Judiciary
spokesperson Paul Ndemo confirmed all the victims were rushed to Bungoma County
Referral Hospital and later stabilized.
The
gunshot incident caused panic, with lawyers, judges, court staff, and members
of the public fleeing the courtroom.
Proceedings
were halted temporarily as officers secured the area.
With
the fresh tragedy of the elderly man’s death, Bungoma Law Courts have now
witnessed two high-profile emergencies in less than a month, raising renewed
debate about the adequacy of health and safety measures within judicial
facilities.
