Judiciary to open more speed courts that hear cases worth less than Sh1 million
The Judiciary is planning to open ten courts by December after cases of less than Sh1 million flooded its first court.
The Small Claims Act, which was passed by Parliament in 2016 but it was only in April this year that the Court got its first station in Nairobi County
Ms Stella Kanyiri small claims court’s registrar said plans are underway to open four more courts in Nairobi in collaboration with Nairobi Metropolitan Services and five more courts in Nakuru, Kiambu, Kajiado and Machakos counties.
In just two months of establishing the small claims court, it has heard and determined 1,200 cases with just five adjudicators and one court handling on average 600 cases a month.
“We have five adjudicators but at the rate we are getting cases we may have to expand and the CJ is very keen on this,” she said.
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The courts are designed to be very simple and expeditious solving matters in less than two months.
Filling cases is cheap and one does not need a lawyer to draft pleadings since there is an online template for downloading and uploading.
Parties may appear in person may be represented by an advocate or next of kin or a close relative.
The records are kept in English, Kiswahili as well as other indigenous languages, and their formats are accessible even to persons with disabilities.
For those whose matter are stuck in the systems of conventional court, their only saving grace to get access to this justice minting machine is to withdraw and pay costs of the parties and make an application to transfer their matters. Given time is money it may be worth the cost.
