Reforms

The Government is carrying out major reforms in the Judiciary and Police departments in a move to reducing the backlog of pending cases at the law courts, Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka has said.

Mr. Musyoka expressed concern that there was a backlog of cases pending at several law courts in the country leading to delayed justice.

"The Government has already carried out some reforms within the police department and that the next step will be in the judiciary,'' said Mr. Musyoka.

Addressing prisoners and prison warders at the Kakamega prison Sunday, the VP said it was the basic right for the prisoners to have their cases determined within the shortest time possible.

He said the Government as a matter of urgency will do everything possible to ensure that the problem of shortage of judges among other officers at the law courts in the country was solved once and for all.

"I want to assure the people of Kenya that meaningful reforms will be carried out in the judiciary and police departments to cope with the needs of the 21st century,'' said Mr. Musyoka.

The VP who was accompanied by Permanent Secretary Dr. Ludeki Chweya, Commissioner of Prisons Isaiah Osugo and Western PC Samuel Kilele concurred with the recent remarks by US President Barrack Obama while in Ghana that what Africa needed was not strong leadership but strong institutions.

"I surely, agree with the US President, Barrack Obama, that what the African continent needs is strong institutions and not strong leadership,'' he said.

Mr. Musyoka said the Government was committed to coming up with a constitution that will cater for the interests of all the Kenyan communities including those in prisons.

He said efforts were being made to address congestion in the prisons among other problems facing penal institutions in the country.

Prisoners who presented their grievances to the VP on behalf of their colleagues hit out at a section of legislators pushing for the Hague option to try the suspects of the 2008 post election violence, saying such leaders had no faith in the country's judicial system.

"Your Excellency sir, how can we have faith in our judiciary if some MPs are demanding that the suspects of the 2008 post election violence be tried at The Hague? It means that they do not have confidence in our judiciary,'' said a prisoner.