Kiambu chief magistrate Patricia Gichohi has urged police officers investigating criminal cases to allow suspects to solve minor cases outside courts to avoid accumulation of cases in courts.
She said it is worrying that even simple assault cases and minor frauds involving small monies are being taken to court instead such cases should be solved outside the court.
"Petty crimes should be solved using village elders at the village level where parties should be given time to reconcile outside court so that for serious cases such as robbery with violence, defilement can be brought to court for hearing and determination,” Gichohi said.
Gichohi said Kiambu prison is congested due to many remandees most of them being petty offenders who have failed to raise cash bail and small bonds.
“We need to reduce the number of remandees because the government has not expanded the prison and this can only be achieved if minor cases are solved outside the courts,” she added.
She was speaking on Tuesday during the hearing of a minor assault case involving two women at a Kiambu court.
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