The Judiciary, the National Police Service, the Ministry of Lands and Kenya Power are among the top state agencies that Kenyans are complaining against over injustices, a report shows.
The ‘List of shame’ report by the Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ) reveals that the agencies account for the highest number of complaints filed by Kenyans over injustices.
The bi-annual report covering the period between July and December 2022 filed by the commission headed by Florence Kajuju was tabled in the Senate last week.
It shows that in more than six months period, the Commission received 1,001 complaints from Kenyans against 70 public institutions and 26 county governments.
“Out of these complaints, 462 were resolved while 539 were still pending resolution at different action stages – inquiries, investigations, summons and show-cause,” the report shows.
According to the report that exposes various forms of injustices Kenyans face while seeking government services and justice in court, the Judiciary is topping the list with at least 90 cases filed against it.
The Ombudsman’s report shows that Kenyans are complaining about delayed delivery of justice occasioned by frequent losses of case files, inefficient and unlawful conduct of staff.
“The complaint alleged that he was unable to trace the court file in Nakuru Civil Appeal despite making many applications to pursue the file,” the report states in one of the cases that manifest injustice.
Often, Kenyans have complained about their cases taking ages to resolve, but the Judiciary has blamed the delays on the shortage of magistrates and judges, and budget constraints.
The report reveals that the National Police Service, which has been on the spot over alleged brutality during anti-government demos, has at least 54 cases filed against it over the six months period.
The complaints entail failure by the officers to act on complaints filed before then, delays to investigate cases, failure to submit investigation files to ODPP and bribery.
“The complainant alleges that his younger brother, armed with a machete attacked and threatened to kill her mother,"one of the complaints reads.
"He broke into his mother’s house and stole assorted goods. He reported the matter to Thuura police station but to date, the accused has not been arrested.”
At least 44 cases were filed against the Ministry of Lands over delays by the officers to deliver services and loss of land documents.
The Ministry officials are also reported to be rude and dismissive, with some aiding double allocations leading to fierce physical confrontations between parties.
Some land officers, the report shows, are engaging in illegal land transfers, colluding with cartels to encroach parcels and bribery to get tiles and other services.
“The complainant alleged that the Land Registrar Kisumu failed to act in a case of a double subdivision,” one of the complaints states.
At least 20 cases face Kenya power over alleged erroneous electricity power bills, prolonged disconnections, failure to compensate customers for losses caused by power surges and disruptions causing losses to businesses.
“The complainant alleged that the officers at the Ruai offices were not responsive to customers and were not delivering justice,” the report states.
The report further exposed the Interior Ministry, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, the National Treasury and the National Social Security Fund and the Kenya Revenue Authority as the other agencies most Kenyans are complaining about.
The Ministry of Interior has at least 50 cases against it with the bulk of the cases reported against officers in the civil registration and prisons departments.
They include delays by immigration officers to process and issue passports, unlawful evictions by chiefs, delays to process and issue ID cards, birth and death certificates.
At least 40 cases have been filed against the Ministry of Education with most complaints regarding the University of Nairobi, Kenya National Examination Council, the Higher Education Loans Board and high school principals.
“The complainant alleged that the principal directed her daughter to sign clearance forms and leave the school on the basis of allegations of bullying and lesbianism without carrying out a lawful disciplinary process, and without indicating whether she was effectively expelled from school,” the report shows.
Other agencies captured in the list of shame are Teachers Service Commission, Ministry of Roads and Transport – National Transport and Safety Authority, Kenya Ports Authority, Kenya Urban Roads Authority and Kenya National Highways Authority.
Others are business registration service, Sacco Societies Regulatory Authority, advocates complaints commission, Ministry of ICT, Kenya Forest Service, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital and National Land Commission.