Newly appointed Attorney-General Dorcas Oduor has pledged to clear backlogs at Sheria House among other reforms to enhance the rule of law in Kenya.
In her opening remarks when she took over from her predecessor Justin Muturi , now the Cabinet Secretary for Public Service and Delivery, Ms Oduor on Wednesday announced the introduction of new working days and public engagements.
She directed officers at Sheria House to start working on Saturdays, with a focus on cases and other matters that have been gathering dust for long in the Department of Public Trustee.
"From next Saturday, we will be giving free legal aid. It will be an open day with the Department of Public Trustee," she said.
Additionally, for the first four weeks, staff in her office will be working on Saturdays from 8am to 1pm to clear backlogs.
Ms Oduor, who until her appointment was secretary of public prosecutions in the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), announced that heads of departments in the AG's office would be facilitated to take part in public forums to familiarise themselves with the public.
Also, from Wednesday next week, she said there would be a new initiative called Sheria Space from 4 pm to 5 pm, which seeks to help Kenyans to know their servants in departments at Sheria headquarters.
“We will show Kenyans our heads of departments and what we do. We will listen to them and dialogue, what they expect of us and what we will do. We hope all Kenyans will join us.”
During the Sheria Open Space, everybody from the criminal and justice system will also interact with the members of the public on how to protect the public interest.
Mr Muturi stated that his successor’s experience in the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions would enable her to work smoothly with officers to solve some of the cases that are yet to be completed.
“It is a very fitting appointment that I am handing over to somebody that I have so much confidence in, who I kept consulting even during the fights that came from the Public Service Commission and many quotas,” CS Muturi said.
The CS challenged the AG to prioritise the promotion of some of the officers who have worked for many years without being considered, blaming the Public Service Commission for derailing their quest for promotion.
“There are people here who have stagnated in one job group, one grade for four to six years and even more. That is a situation that is deplorable and it should never have happened.”
He said that during his 20 months at the helm of Sheria House, he began the process of following up the matter with the Public Service Commission, which has been an endless fight.
“I told them, let us have a mechanism within ourselves where we would be able to recommend, but they said no. It is not right.”
Mr Muturi said despite receiving criticism from the media and members of the public over government cases that were lost in courts, the end results were positive since out of 1,588 cases, they lost 83 only.
“The media would say that there is poor representation at AG’s office. In one year, we have been able to have 1,588 cases handled by the office, and the ones the government lost were 83. I keep telling people that the government becomes a litigant like any other, nothing says that if a case is filed against the government, the government must win.”
During the swearing-in ceremony of the AG at State House on Tuesday, President William Ruto acknowledged Ms Oduor’s capability of leading the AG‘s office.
“This appointment is not about you being a woman, it’s about you being competent and on account of confidence and the ability to deliver. You deserve to serve in this position and I am very confident and clear that you will not only make us as a country proud,” President Ruto said.
