The Judiciary has refuted claims of using Sh73 million public funds to construct Kasarani Small Claims Court.
The judiciary said the funds earmarked for the project were never disbursed, owing to budget reductions across the public sector.
Judiciary spokesperson Paul Ndemo said the plans to complete the Small Claims Courts in Kasarani, Mihang'o, and Huruma are ongoing.
“The judiciary has indeed allocated funds in the next financial year to continue with the construction,” he said in a statement on Thursday.
“The Judiciary’s attention has been drawn to a story circulating in sections of social media alleging that over Sh73 million has been misspent on the construction of a Small Claims Court at Kasarani in Nairobi.”
Ndemo said there is a need to enhance access to justice, especially in the highly populous outskirts of Nairobi City, which remains a priority for the Judiciary.
He added that people living in the areas depend largely on small and medium enterprises, saying they need Small Claims Courts in their neighbourhood to expeditiously resolve cases whose value does not exceed Sh1 million.
Small Claims Courts are established to resolve disputes within sixty days, which improves the business climate and boosts social empowerment, and serves as gender courts to advance justice for residents.
To actualise the initiative, he said, the Judiciary held discussions with the now defunct Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS).
He said the engagement bore fruit, and NMS agreed to construct small claims courts in Dagoretti, Kasarani, Mihang’o and Huruma.
According to Ndemo, Dagoretti Law Courts was completed and officially opened by Chief Justice Martha Koome on October 11, 2024.
He noted that as the court celebrated its first 100 days with a total of 820 matters filed, 562 cases closed.
Some 216 small claims matters had been filed, with 103 cases closed upon disbandment of NMS.
The judiciary took over construction of the remaining three courts, namely Kasarani, Mihang'o, and Huruma, through a Deed of Novation signed on March 28, 2023.
“The works were advertised for Kasarani Law Courts and a contractor was awarded in April 2024 at the cost of Sh73, 156, 617. Unfortunately, shortly thereafter, there were budget cuts across the public sector and the Judiciary’s development budget was cut by approximately 50 per cent. The contract could therefore not be signed and the contractor did not report to site.”
The Judiciary reiterated its commitment to enhance access to justice through the construction of a magistrate’s court in every subcounty and a high court in every county, as envisaged in the institutional blueprint, Social Transformation through Access to Justice.
