Embu, Kenya – Embu Chief Magistrate Francis Kyambi has proposed changes to the current rules governing criminal case mentions in court. These adjustments aim to address the growing backlog of cases in the judicial system. Kyambi suggests altering the requirement that mandates criminal cases to be mentioned every 14 days.

According to Kenya News Agency, the new approach would entail suspects appearing in court for mentions only under specific circumstances, such as when there is a significant development in their case. This includes situations where suspects reconcile with their accusers, necessitating the withdrawal of the case. To support this proposed system, Kyambi recommends establishing a communication channel for remanded suspects to notify the court when they wish to be heard, allowing the magistrate to schedule a mention accordingly.

Kyambi’s proposal was made during the Embu Chief Magistrate’s Court Users Committee meeting. At this meeting, prison and police officers highlighted the logistical challenges they face in transporting large numbers of suspects from prison to courts for mere mentions, especially when there have been no changes in the cases.

Echoing these concerns, Kyambi noted that the current practice of frequent mentions for unchanged cases consumes valuable court time. In a related development, Grace Mwangi, a representative from the children’s charity Lumos, mentioned their collaboration with Embu law courts to create a play area for children who are present in court precincts.

Furthermore, it was announced that the Small Claims Court will be introduced at the Embu courts next week. This new court is designed to handle cases involving smaller sums of money and will operate with more relaxed procedural rules, making the legal process more cost-effective for litigants.