Chief Justice Martha Koome on Thursday, officially launched the Annual Children Matters Service Week at the Supreme Court.
The day was commissioned by the National Council of Administrative Justice (NCAJ) in 2021. This was instructed by CJ Koome who is the council’s chair.
The Children Service Week is dedicated to solving children’s cases in the judicial system nationwide.
The theme is ‘ A justice system fit for children.’ The campaign is a strategy designed by the Judiciary to improve the access to justice for children according to the NCAJ strategic plan 2021-2026.
Koome said that she is very passionate about the rights of children because they are among the most vulnerable people in the country.
The CJ said she will be held accountable in case anything happens to children in the judicial system because she has instructed courts to prioritize the cases of children in Kenya.
This week, she has demanded that courts across all jurisdictions are expected to look into all the pending cases of children who are in contact or conflict with the law for the past six months. She said that the backlog of children’s cases ought to be put at the forefront.
She reiterated that in 2021 during the Children’s Service Week, that 1,800 cases involving children were solved and they assisted in placing them wthere they are meant to be and not in the system.
Koome urged the national and county governments to partner in setting up Child Protection Units in police stations.
Miriam Muli, the senior assistant Inspector General of Police, believes that inadequate protection units are barriers that hinder the timely operation of children cases.