Lawyers who represent clients at the Maua Law courts in Meru County briefly boycotted the courts and swore to down tools on January 15 next year to protest shortage of magistrates.
The members of Maua Advocates Association accused the Judiciary of failing to post new magistrates after the transfer of two magistrates early this year.
Hosea Mutembei, the association's chairman, said failing to bring in the replacements had worsened understaffing at the Maua courts which traditionally has a high number of land-related disputes in the Igembe region.
Mr Mutembei and the other lawyers claimed the remaining two magistrates were overwhelmed due to the huge backlog of land, criminal and other cases that have clogged the Maua station.
Only the two courts have the jurisdiction to hear land matters and in a region where large swathes of land remain unregistered, residents have filed land cases that have remained unresolved for years.
"The whole community is suffering because of this understaffing of court. What we have in Maua is a worsening situation. Even to get a date for a simple mention of the cases you are waiting for six months. Courts are crowded and overwhelmed and advocates cannot get a date for the mention of their cases earlier than June next year," Mutembei said.
They said at least seven magistrates are needed at the courts to clear the backlog.
"There are so many cases in Igembe, especially land cases. The two magistrates here are overworked, they are getting sick because of the workload!" he added.
He stated, "Come January 15, we shall not attend court in the entire Meru County until the problem in Maua is sorted."
With a cause list of nearly 100 in a day, the lawyers argued the two available magistrates could not handle and have sought the intervention of the Chief Registrar at the headquarters to replace the magistrates they who transferred.
"This is the most unreasonable thing that the Judiciary Service Commission is doing, to neglect such a busy station," Mutembei said.
George Gikonyo, an advocate, said; "The magistrates are working long hours, leaving work at 6 pm. We cannot continue like this. We, advocates, and those seeking justice, are hurting."
Mr Gikonyo said Maua was one of the oldest stations in the county and with too many cases that remain unresolved, the Judiciary should post additional magistrates.
