Kisii Community Urged to Embrace Alternative Judiciary System
KISII, Kenya — Residents of Kisii County have been urged to adopt the Alternative Judiciary System (AJS) as a mechanism to address the growing backlog of court cases, particularly land disputes. Speaking during a two-day workshop attended by members of the Gusii Council of Elders, community leaders, Judiciary representatives, and officers from the County Lands Department, Justice Prof. Joel Ngugi of the Court of Appeal highlighted the benefits of AJS and other Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms. He emphasized that most pending cases in the county could be resolved outside formal courts, saving time and reducing costs while enhancing access to justice.
Justice Ngugi, who also chairs the National Steering Committee on AJS implementation, noted that the Constitution of Kenya promotes Traditional Dispute Resolution (TDR) as a legitimate way to restore justice. Kisii County has faced persistent land conflicts, often stemming from population growth, land fragmentation, inheritance disputes, boundary disagreements, and illegal land transactions. The county’s Integrated Development Plan (2023–2027) identifies the lack of title deeds and the grabbing of public land as major obstacles to peaceful coexistence. County Lands Executive Grace Nyarango highlighted that the AJS training will equip community leaders to mediate disputes and contribute to peaceful resolution, while also freeing land for productive use.
The workshop, funded by the EU-FAO Digital Land Governance Programme in partnership with the Judiciary and the County Department of Lands, was hailed as a critical step toward enhancing collaboration between the Judiciary, County authorities, and local elders. Kisii magistrate Hon. Benard Omwansa and County Land Registrar Charles Ayienda praised the initiative for strengthening local capacities and promoting legal aid. FAO Land Technical Specialist Sebastian Menza added that the training will bridge gaps between formal legal systems and community-level dispute resolution, fostering smoother land governance and equitable access to justice.