CJ orders for security in courts

By Wahome Thuku

Chief Justice Willy Mutunga has directed Judiciary Registrar to boost security in all courts.

Dr Mutunga stated that adequate orderlies are positioned in court premises to curb cases of violence against lawyers.

He was responding to Law Society of Kenya (LSK) over an incident in which lawyer Philip Nyachoti was confronted by the mother of soccer star Dennis Oliech over a land dispute case two weeks ago. LSK asked the CJ to assure its members are protected from angry litigants within the court corridors.

During the incident, Ms Mary Auma Oliech caused a stir at the Nairobi Milimani Law Courts when she confronted Nyachoti demanding to get back the land title deed from Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) who are his client. She also had a similar encounter with lawyer Tom Wachakana, who is representing her children in the suit against her. She accused Wachakana of contacting her children and filing the suit without consulting her.
Her children Elsie and Kennedy Oliech want their mother and KCB stopped from selling a multi-million family property in Nairobi.

Elsie claims the family mobilised resources in April 2006 and bought the land, which they registered under the mother’s name in trust of the family. In 2010, she used the land to secure Sh2 million loan from KCB, which she allegedly failed to clear.

The siblings sued the mother and the bank and applied to have them temporarily restrained from advertising for sale, selling or in any way dealing in the property.

“From the clips that were aired by several television stations, it was horrifying that our members who are also officers of the court could be subjected to such disrespectful experience by a member of the public within the precinct of the temple of justice,” Apollo Mboya told the CJ.