The Judicial Service Commission of Kenya, on Monday, asked President William Ruto to prioritise allocating resources from his government towards the construction of a new Supreme Court building noting that it will enhance service delivery.
Speaking in Nairobi during the celebrations to mark the 12th anniversary of the establishment of the Supreme Court in Kenya, the Registrar of the Judiciary Winrida Mokaya appealed to President Ruto to prioritise the plans for the construction works.
‘’Your Excellency, as discussed this morning, your attention was drawn to the need for a modern Supreme Court building, a space that would foster judicial discourse and provide an optimal working environment for our judges,’’ Mokaya stated.
According to the Judiciary, a design competition was already running to get the best design ideas from architectural creatives.
‘’We are currently in the process of a design competition for a modern Supreme Court building with contemporary design and functionality required for its important judicial role,’’ Mokaya added.
The Registrar of the Judiciary revealed that the Supreme Court buildings had outlived their functionality since they had lasted for over 93 years.
This, the Registrar revealed, has prevented the court users' access to modern functional facilities that are in line with the modern requirements.
‘’The building is nearly a century old and its architecture does not serve the present needs of the Supreme Court. It is internal design is far from being functionally adequate,’’ Mokaya implored.
‘’The building as it is does not embody the gravitas of the role of the Supreme Court as envisaged in the Constitution."
‘’Your Excellency you also noted this morning as you walked in that from the plate at the entrance of this building, the building was put up in 1930, that is 80 years ago before our new constitution,’’ she added.
However, the Judiciary noted that the idea for a new Supreme Court building did not originate from influences from other arms of government which have continued to receive modernised facilities but a need to evolve with time and boost its functionality.
President Ruto on April 25 this year, launched a Ksh9.6 billion Bunge Towers, that houses modern offices for Members of the Parliament. The idea for the construction was conceived in 2009 with the tower initially set to cost taxpayers Ksh5.89 billion, but the amount was hiked by an additional Ksh3.71 billion.
Official documents released by the Treasury in May this year, indicated that the State House had been allocated Ksh26 million more for refurbishments of the President's official residence in Nairobi. This surged the budgetary allocation for the renovation works up from Ksh795.4 million to Ksh821.4 million.
Meanwhile, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja revealed that there were plans underway, alongside discussions, to have a parcel of land next to the City Hall allocated to the Judiciary for the construction of modern Supreme Court buildings.
''Your Excellency I know we have discussed our favorite topic which is the land over the year, the Nairobi County land that will soon host the Supreme Court building. For us to have a legacy, after consultations, we will all be proud for the land, to host the Supreme Court buildings,'' Sakaja revealed.
