The Meru Law Courts have been exposed in a report by Daily Nation over tough work conditions judges and magistrates are subjected to work under.
One of the magistrates has been heard a rape case involving a 10-year-old girl and sentenced the accused to 17 years in jail from a tiny cell within the court premises due to lack of space for courtrooms.
The situation is dire for the deputy court registrar, Carol Obara, whose office is a toilet that was renovated to also house a store and another courtroom.
Court officials convey that a number of convicts have since fled after they were sentenced due to the poor organization within the precinct.
[caption caption="A hearing session in progress at one of the squeezed courtrooms at the Meru Law Courts"]
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"Due to lack of proper security, there have been three attempted escapes by suspects in the past one year. Three succeeded and they are yet to be re-arrested," the court official who chose to remain anonymous stated.
The lawyers representing various clients also complain of missing files that end up being misplaced due to space constraints of the filling rooms.
"Prosecutors operate from a makeshift office, where the security of sensitive documents they handle cannot be guaranteed.
"The registries are also in a mess because they are so crowded that files get misplaced. I think what should be done here is to shut down operations because this is a disaster in waiting," another court official explained.
Court administrator Kariuki Njuki confirmed the challenges in space citing that the law courts only have six courtrooms while they are assigned, four judges and seven magistrates.
He added that in instances where a judges’ tribunal has to sit in the county, some cases have to be adjourned to facilitate the tribunal.
"We have to operate with what we have because, despite the situation, cases must be filed and heard," Njuki explained.
A statement from the presiding Judge Alfred Mabeya cited the lack of funds as the impediment to expanding the court, which acquired a one-and-a-half acre plot for the project in 2014.
