According to a section of Kiambu lawyers, the courts are to blame for the continued rise in crime in the county. [Photo/Huffington post]A section of lawyers and police in Kiambu have accused the Judiciary of contributing to insecurity because of what they said is leniency on criminals.
In Limuru, police sources who spoke on condition of anonymity said their efforts to fight lawlessness was being thwarted by the courts with suspects, including those charged with robbery with violence, being released on free bonds.
A senior Kiambu lawyer, who did not wish to be named, said he had witnessed discrimination among suspects, particularly petty offenders, who are allegedly slapped with high fines while dangerous criminals are dealt with leniently.
“I was in a Limuru court recently when a boda-boda operator who had been charged with riding without a license was slapped with a huge fine which he could hardly afford. In a different court, a person arrested for trading in charcoal illegally was fined Sh10,000 only,” he said.
On insecurity, law enforcers have petitioned Chief Justice David Maraga to consider transferring magistrates serving at the Limuru Law Courts who they accuse of contributing to insecurity.
They alleged that some magistrates were not objective and that they often make rulings in favor of suspects from a certain tribe. This, as the rate of crime in the county, continue to increase particularly in Kiambaa and Limuru.
In Kiambaa, at least 18 residents have been attacked by criminals in the past three weeks with eight of them succumbing to their injuries. MP Paul Koinange, who is also the Parliamentary Security Committee member, has since challenged the police to intensify patrols.
Speaking during a security meeting which was also attended by Nyumba Kumi chairman Joseph Kaguthi at Banana Hill township, the MP urged residents to embrace community policing to identify criminals.