Uasin Gishu has stepped up sensitisation of communities in the region to adopt the Alternative Justice System in resolving disputes and conflicts on land and other matters.
The move will help to ease congestion of cases in courts and promote peace and harmony among residents and communities.
The county headed by Governor Jonathan Bii has partnered with the Childcare Elder Foundation in rolling out the Alternative Justice System (AJS) programme aimed at promoting peaceful resolution of disputes across the county.
The initiative was launched during a meeting held at the county headquarters and chaired by public service management executive Joseph Lagat.
He said the county was committed to supporting the programme to ensure its success, noting AJS will enhance access to justice at the community level.
“The county government will provide the necessary support to ensure this initiative succeeds. Through AJS, we aim to sensitise and educate our communities while also collecting critical data that will guide policy and decision-making,” Lagat said.
The programme seeks to sensitise residents, provide civic education on alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and collect data across all subcounties.
It is expected to reduce the burden on formal courts by encouraging communities to resolve disputes amicably through dialogue and mediation.
“AJS also provides faster mechanisms to resolve disputes including those on land, which have taken so many years to deal with,” Lagat said.
Representatives from the Childcare Elder Foundation reaffirmed their commitment to work closely with the county government to ensure the programme’s objectives are achieved. They emphasised the importance of collaboration with local leadership and communities to make AJS inclusive and effective.
Also present at the meeting were county attorney Sylvester Metto, lands executive Edward Sawe, social protection chief officer Marion Birgen and her lands counterpart Julius Koech, as well as directors from relevant departments.
The officials pledged interdepartmental cooperation to support the rollout and implementation of the AJS programme countywide.
Lagat said the AJS programme is expected to strengthen social cohesion, enhance access to justice, and promote peaceful coexistence among communities in Uasin Gishu.
Governor Bii said they are working with the Judiciary to sensitise the communities on AJS and ensure cases that can be dealt with easily are resolved without resorting to courts.
“AJS is also a cheaper system because parties just engage in dialogue within their areas instead of using resources to hire lawyers and file cases in courts,” he said.
BY MATHEWS NDANYI
