A decade for murder suspect in remand and still counting

By Faith Ronoh

Eldoret Kenya: Patrick Nyongesa, a murder suspect, has been in remand for a decade as his long running trial drags on.

Nyongesa, who is facing murder charges at the High Court in Eldoret, is currently being held at the Eldoret GK Prison, where he was remanded in 2002. His case began in 2000.

The case was due for hearing on May 5 but it’s now evident Nyongesa will have to wait longer because his case is among those to be disrupted as the Judiciary races against time to beat a six-month constitutional deadline for conclusion of election petitions.

Nyongesa’s lawyer Rioba Omboto Omboto says the case was adjourned because the resident judge was attending to election petitions at a Mombasa Court.

However, Omboto said it is not only the criminal cases that are affected, but also land-related and succession cases that are very common at the court, and the delay could spill hearing dates over to next year or even farther. 

“Even as the Judiciary seeks to beat the deadline set for hearing of election petitions, it should also keep in mind ordinary Kenyans who are eagerly waiting for justice to prevail.”

Eldoret High Court has been assigned three election petition cases for Baringo North, Baringo South and Baringo Central constituencies.

The three, set for May 22 and May 23, will be heard by Lady Justice Lydia Achode. North Rift residents with cases pending in court will have to wait a little longer to pave way for hearing and determination of election petitions.

Extension of orders

At the Eldoret High Court, a judge has been mandated to hear election petition cases at the Mombasa High Court and this, as explained by support staff at the Eldoret court, will lead to a collapse of civil cases that the judge was expected to hear for the month of June.

The court has only two judges and now only one will have to battle it out to hear both criminal and civil cases creating a backlog of such cases.

A registrar at the court said with only one judge, only matters that are an extension of interim orders and certificates will be heard.