Eldoret Pupils Get Practical Court Lessons

Nairobi Star (Nairobi)

Mathews Ndanyi

23 June 2011

A group of school children in Eldoret were yesterday allowed to sit in court as part of plans to educate them on court structures and operations.

About 100 pupils from Kamoiywo Preparatory School in Nandi North held a mock court proceeding after which they were allowed to attend actual proceedings at the law courts. “We have allowed them to join us so that they learn about what happens here and they get used to court operations,” said an official at the courts Isaiah Mmbono.

He took the pupils through a two-hour learning session during which he explained the structures and operations of the courts and the officers who serve in the system.

During the court lessons, most children were able to name the new Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, his deputy Nancy Baraza and Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko. The three were sworn in two days ago. “We have reforms taking place in the judiciary and it’s important that the young children get to know these things early in their life,” said Mmbono.

A senior teacher at the school Viola Boit said the visit was part of social studies under new primary school syllabus which has a big section on arms of government including the judiciary. “We want the children to see things practically and even have a mock process so that they get used to it,” Bitok said. The process will help encourage pupils aspiring to join the legal profession. Mmbono said the courts are now more open and Kenyans are free to interact with judicial officers.

The Eldoret courts were computerized under a programme funded by the United States Agency for Development USAID. The school children were also taken through the computerized system.

All court systems in Eldoret including filing is done through the computerized system. The USAID supplied more than 30 computers to the courts in Eldoret and Kapsabet.

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