By GASTONE VALUSI
The Judiciary will this month roll out a sensitisation drive to educate residents on how courts are partnering with community elders to resolve disputes outside the formal court system.
Wamunyu Law Courts Senior Resident Magistrate Pascal Nabwana said the sensitisation programme, scheduled for October 26 to 30 at Wamunyu Law Courts, will focus on educating the public about the Alternative Justice System (AJS).
The programme will target selected wards in Mwala Sub-County as the Judiciary seeks to strengthen collaboration between formal courts and community-based dispute resolution mechanisms.
“We have it here in Wamunyu. In Machakos, clan elders can intervene. What we are looking at is informing people how the court partners with elders to handle cases outside the court,” Nabwana said.
The magistrate said the Judiciary was mapping and engaging clan elders in Mwala Sub-County so that minor disputes could first be resolved at the community level.
“We are looking to train clan elders on how to handle claims that can be resolved at the grassroots level. Even for land matters, these elders have historical perspectives that could be key to unlocking land cases,” he said.
“If there is a small case in Mwala, we can ask the elders what happened. By the time you come to court, you won’t be able to lie to us about what happened,” Nabwana said in an interview with the People Tribune.
He said empowering elders to resolve petty disputes would help decongest courts while also contributing to improved security at the grassroots.
“We want to help our elders to handle these cases, which will reduce insecurity,” he said.
Nabwana also commended residents of Kitine for working together to combat crime, saying their collective action against the alleged trade in bhang provided an example of community-led intervention.
“Kitine people did a good job. They united against bhang trade in the area,” he said.
The Service Week will bring together judicial officers, clan elders, chiefs and members of the public to demystify AJS and strengthen cooperation between the formal justice system and traditional dispute-resolution mechanisms.
Nabwana emphasised that community justice should not be restricted to elderly people, saying women and young people could also play a role in resolving minor disputes.
He said community mediators could document agreements reached through the process and have them presented to courts for approval where necessary.
