The Judiciary has transitioned hearings of Nairobi County cases from county courts to Milimani Law Courts in Upper Hill in line with a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed with the Council of Governors on March 10, 2016.
According to a statement issued by the Judiciary and seen by Kenyans.co.ke, the change was effected on Monday, October 2.
In the new changes, cash bail and fines will be paid to Milimani Law Courts upon issuance of an invoice at the court's county registry counter.
County pleas will be taken in court No. 13 of the Milimani Law Courts under the County Magistrate Plea Courts.
However, all pending matters will be heard in Nairobi county courts until further directions.
"Any inconvenience caused is highly regretted," Chief Magistrate Gicheha Liza Wairimu of the Nairobi City Law Courts announced in the notice dated Thursday, September 28.
This transition follows a memorandum of understanding(MOU) signed between the Judiciary and the Council of Governors on 10 March 2016 and after a Court Users Committee (CUC) meeting.
The MOU sought to develop mechanisms to support enforcement of the county legislation since counties lacked registries to handle county laws, prompting the need to establish one. Additionally, it highlighted ways in which fines accrued from county legislation can be ploughed back into the county.
The committee emphasised the importance of regular consultations between the relevant stakeholders to ensure constant follow-up on the implementation of the MOU.
Governors further proposed a multi-sectoral committee be set up to address the gaps and develop a revenue-sharing formula on the fines accrued from county laws.
The changes were implemented a few days after Chief Justice Martha Koome introduced new guidelines aimed at expediting the payment of fines and cash bail.
According to the CJ, the head of the Judiciary, the guidelines will address the concerns of court users and harness technology to streamline the process.
All cash bail and fines will be processed in open court, increasing transparency in line with the Judiciary's adoption of technology using the Case Management System, which enables electronic payment of court fees, fines, and deposits.
"This system not only generates online invoices and receipts but also simplifies the entire payment process," the CJ stated in the directive issued on Thursday, September 28.
All pleas will also be registered by 9:00 am save for the guidance of Court Users' Committees (CUC) when facing time constraints.
Other changes included every plea-taking court having two Court Assistants to support the magistrate with various court duties and handle the
processing of fines and cash bail payments.
