- On Thursday afternoon, a senior police officers was shot and killed by court orderlies at the Makadara Law Courts after he shot an injured a magistrate.
- The officers was apparently irked by Principal Magistrate Monicah Kivuti’s decision to cancel his wive’s bond terms.
Image: HANDOUT
Makadara Law Courts will remain closed until June 17 following a shooting incident on Thursday, Chief Justice Martha Koome has said.
In a statement, the CJ said the closure will facilitate the security reinforcement at the court.
“All matters at the Makadara Law Courts will be heard virtually and those requiring physical appearance mentioned at the Milimani Law Courts,” the CJ ordered.
Koome further said the office of the Inspector General and connected National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ) actors will review the security protocols regarding the handling of accused persons in the courtroom.
“The Judiciary Police Unit in consultation with the office of the Inspector General will reinforce security in all court stations across the country and ensure that persons are not allowed to access court premises while armed with the exception of officers properly accredited to provide security at specified court sessions,” the CJ directed.
On Thursday afternoon, a senior police officer was shot and killed by court orderlies at the Makadara Law Courts after he shot and injured a magistrate.
The officer was apparently irked by Principal Magistrate Monicah Kivuti’s decision to cancel his wife’s bond terms and order remand her in custody for skipping previous court sessions.
The accused told the court that she had been unwell prompting the magistrate to direct that a probation report be prepared whilst the accused remained in custody.
“The perpetrator then entered the court through the magistrate’s entrance and fired shots at Hon Kivuti injuring her severally on the chest and pelvic area,” CJ Koome said.
She said a court orderly and two other officers who tried to secure the magistrate and remove her from harm’s way also sustained gunshot wounds.
“In an attempt by court orderlies to secure the magistrate and the courtroom, unfortunately, the perpetrator received fatal injuries,” Koome said.
“It’s clear that the intention of the perpetrator was to kill the magistrate,” she added.
The CJ confirmed that the wounded magistrate and the officers are all receiving treatment and are in stable condition.
Koome took the opportunity to call on the National Assembly and Treasury to allocate sufficient funds for the construction of court infrastructure.
She said the incident at Makadara Law Courts happened as the magistrate held proceedings in a tent for lack of space.
Koome said that once allocated the office of the Chief Registrar of Judiciary will prioritise financial resources towards implementing the measures.
She said the Judiciary Security Committee will also work with the Judiciary Infrastructure and Building Committee and the office of the registrar to ensure that all judiciary infrastructures meet international standards for the safety of judges, judicial officers and staff.
Meanwhile, Koome said all officers deployed to the Judiciary and those serving members of the public in registries will receive targeted training.
“The Executive Director of the National Council on Administration of Justice (NCAJ) will convene an urgent meeting with the NCAJ Council to discuss factors leading to this tragic incident and to adopt measures to avert any future threats,” CJ Koome said.