Narok County Adopts Alternative Justice System for Children’s Cases

NAROK — Officials in Narok County have endorsed the use of the Alternative Justice System (AJS) to address the rising number of children’s cases, particularly those of child neglect. During a Children Advisory Committee meeting, stakeholders, including the County Children Director Pilot Khaemba, highlighted the system’s potential in handling the 1,260 child neglect cases reported last year out of a total 1,733 children’s cases.

According to Kenya News Agency, the AJS approach, which involves discussions outside the formal court setting but still delivers outcomes to the judiciary, is more suited to address issues stemming from social-cultural factors rather than criminal activity.

The County Children Director emphasized that AJS allows for the expedited resolution of cases, with a children’s officer and a panelist from the judiciary working together to ensure the child’s rights and justice are upheld. However, he noted that serious offences such as defilement, early marriages, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and child labour, which pose significant risks to children, will not be subject to this alternative process. Instead, these cases will continue to undergo immediate investigation and prosecution to prevent the corruption of evidence and to protect the affected children from further harm.

Furthermore, the Narok head of the Office of Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP), Gitonga Murang’a, affirmed his office’s support for the AJS initiative, stressing the importance of collaboration among all stakeholders to ensure its effective implementation. Murang’a also reminded that the process should operate within the constitutional framework, with panelists receiving proper training for handling cases.

The adoption of AJS in Narok County was discussed in a meeting attended by key local officials, including County Commissioner Kipkoech Lotiatia and the County Executive Member in charge of Education, Robert Simwoto. The meeting was sponsored by the We-World organization, indicating a community-wide effort to address the backlog of children’s cases through alternative means.