Judiciary Sets Record Straight After Ksh73 Million Exposé

Judiciary Spokesperson Paul Ndemo, acting on behalf of Chief Justice Martha Koome, has responded to allegations that the Judiciary spent Ksh 73 million on the construction of a Small Claims Court in Nairobi.

In a statement, the spokesperson described these claims as misleading.

“The Judiciary’s attention has been drawn to a story circulating on social media alleging that over Ksh 73 million has been misused in the construction of a Small Claims Court at Kasarani in Nairobi,” part of the statement read.

Koome explained that the construction of the Small Claims Court at Kasarani was part of a project involving a partnership between the Judiciary and the Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS). This partnership also included the construction of small claims courts in Mihango, Huruma, and Dagoretti.

Koome Dismiss Claims of Misappropriation of Ksh 73 Million

After the disbandment of NMS, the Judiciary took over the construction of the remaining three courts, Kasarani, Mihang’o, and Hurum, through a Deed of Novation signed on March 28, 2023.

Following this agreement, works were advertised for the Kasarani Law Courts, and a contractor was awarded the project in April 2024 at a cost of Ksh 73,156,617.

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However, the Judiciary was later forced to halt the construction of the three remaining courts due to a government budget cut and the treasury’s failure to disburse funds, despite the Judiciary’s budget being significantly reduced.

 “Unfortunately, shortly thereafter, there were budget cuts across the public sector, and the Judiciary’s development budget was cut by approximately 50%. As a result, the contract could not be signed, and the contractor did not report to the site,” the statement noted.

Morara Alleges Ksh 73 Million Was Misappropriated in Construction of Certain Claim Courts

Given these circumstances, the Judiciary Spokesperson insisted that it is misleading to claim that Ksh 73 million of public funds was misused in the construction of the Kasarani Small Claims Court, reiterating that the funds earmarked for the project were never disbursed by the treasury due to the budget reductions.

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Additionally, the Judiciary assured residents of Kasarani, Mihango, and Huruma that plans to complete the Small Claims Courts in these areas are still in place. The Judiciary has allocated funds in the upcoming financial year to continue construction.

Koome’s response came a day after Morara Kebaso, leader of the INJECT Party and an activist, posted videos on social media beside the small claims courts in Kasarani and Mihango, alleging that Ksh 73 million had been misappropriated from each court’s budget.

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