Mombasa—Attorney General Justin Muturi disclosed plans to tackle a significant shortage of Legal Officers by establishing branches of the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) in all 47 counties of Kenya. The move aims to devolve services and address the understaffing crisis hampering the office’s efficiency.
According to a new release by Kenya News Agency, speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing Commonwealth Association of Legislative Council (CALC) Africa meeting in Mombasa, an officer in the existing setup handles over 400 files per year due to a lack of staff. In Mombasa alone, there is a deficit of over 30 legal officers. Muturi stated that the Cabinet has approved the establishment of OAG-devolved offices. “Three months ago, I got Cabinet approval to establish in every county the Office of the Attorney General. It’s constitutional; the Office of the Attorney General must devolve, so I am beginning to roll it out,” said Muturi.
Muturi also touched upon the resolved differences between his office and that of the Solicitor General. He emphasized the importance of ethics and professionalism among legislative drafters and encouraged them to share best practices. He further stressed the critical role of technology, especially Artificial Intelligence, in improving the efficiency and accuracy of legislative work.
Jeremiah Nyegenye, Clerk of the Senate and Secretary to the Parliamentary Service Commission, echoed Muturi’s sentiments about the growing capacity for legislative drafting across the counties. “The legislative drafting capacity in the county governments continues to grow in the 47 counties; as we continue to grow, we must pay attention to consistency and put mechanisms such as collaboration in place,” said Nyegenye.
The CALC Africa meeting, themed ‘The Future of Legislative Drafting in Africa,’ saw participation from delegates from various countries, including Zambia, South Africa, Uganda, Kenya, Jamaica, Portugal, Ghana, New Jersey, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Germany, Tanzania, Malawi, the Seychelles, the UK, Scotland, and Trinidad and Tobago.