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Budgetary constraints have been blamed for the delayed conclusion of mega projects initiated by the Judiciary.
This was revealed by members of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) during a visit to Mandera Law Courts on Tuesday.
A multi-million modern court project in Mandera has stalled since 2016, one year after it was launched.
Ms Mercy Deche, the vice-chairperson of JSC, said the Judiciary has had a suffocated budget but the issue has now been resolved and the projects will be completed.
JSC blamed the executive for slow allocation and release of funds to other arms of government leading to stalling of development projects.
“We have challenges in getting requisite funds but now that we are, here it means this project will be completed soon,” she said.
According to JSC, funds from the government are delayed but those from the World Bank reach the Judiciary in time.
Ms Deche said the Mandera courts project is now under JSC’s building unit.
“This project manager was from the county government since we did not [previously] have a building unit but it is now under us,” she said.
The JSC building unit was established in 2016.
Ms Deche said that projects being undertaken by the Judiciary have not stalled but are only behind schedule.
She cited architectural features as another cause of delay in the conclusion of Mandera’s four-storey building.
“There were some features that were not in the initial drawing and we had to introduce them,” she said.
The added features were chambers and courtrooms.
Justice Aggrey Muchelule said there has been a problem of the exchequer delaying in releasing funds for development.
“We came here to see this building and be able to engage Parliament on how to get funds for development,” he said.
Justice Muchelule revealed that the financial standoff between the executive and the Judiciary has been resolved and that the wheels of justice “will soon start accelerating”.
Last year, the Judiciary submitted a budget of Sh31.2 billion for 2018/2019 but Parliament slashed it heavily affecting at least 40 projects according to Chief Justice David Maraga.
Mandera Law Courts had been allocated Ksh16.8 million.
Justice Muchelule said that already, parliament and the executive have been engaged on the disputed Judiciary budget.
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