By Macrine Anyango Otieno
March 7th, 2024 marked the Kisumu Law Courts Open Day at an event held at the Jaramongi Oginga Odinga Sports Centre in Kisumu.
The event organized by the judiciary called for an interactive session that allowed the public access to educative information on legal rights and dispute resolution for the public.
The law courts of Kisumu organized various booths where they offered consultation and awareness on services offered at the law courts. They included the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, the Employment and Labor Relations Court, the Environment and Land Courts, E-filing, and Maseno University Law School.
Services offered at the E-filing booth aimed to help the public know how to file their cases through email since printed and written documents are no longer required or accepted. The Maseno University Law booths offered career consultation for potential students interested in studying law to join the Campus.
Attachment students of the Kisumu Law Courts presented songs, dances and poems that hyped up the crowd and informed them of important law court matters with their poetry.
The Various advocates of the Law courts gave brief speeches and brought up important issues, including Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV). The SGBV case worker expressed concern due to the number of defilement cases reported across the county. Guardians and Parents are advised to collect their children from school when it gets late and be keen on the well-being of their children overall. As well as to educate the men in their lives about the consequences of such crimes. Defilement cases result in life imprisonment whereas teenage defilement cases lead to 10 years’ imprisonment.
Madam Christine Bahari from the employment and labor relations courts explained more about employment and labor rights. She stated that as an employee one requires to be a member of a union in cases of employment termination.
The was also taken through mediation as a way of solving disputes that leads to win-win situations and offers confidentiality
The event also recognized the efforts of the stakeholders for their work and support. They included Stanbic Bank Kenya, Moi University, CSO network, Ogra foundation, KMET, US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFA), USAID, and Haki ni Yetu who received certificates of appreciation.
The presiding Judge of the Court of Appeal HANNAH Okwengu made the closing remarks, reassuring the residents that the Kisumu Law Courts guarantees everyone’s rights are carried out on behalf of the complainants and victims as well as the accused and perpetrators. The perpetrators get jail time, whereas the victims get justice. She also encouraged the public to seek legal assistants.
