By Gerald Mukembu
The Commission on Administrative Justice, also known as the Office of the Ombudsman, has expressed concern over the plight of many Kenyans who are facing unresolved injustice cases.
Ombudsman chairperson Florence Kajuju emphasized that no one is above the law, and her recent initiative to establish an independent office in Meru aims to shed light on long-standing cases.
The newly established office has a clear mandate: to investigate any misconduct related to state affairs or any act or omission within public administration across all levels of government. It also addresses complaints of abuse of power, unfair treatment, manifest injustice, and other forms of official misconduct.
Kajuju urged residents to seek assistance at the office for various issues, including pension claims, matters related to death, and instances of misuse of power by administrators or police.
Additionally, the office will handle cases where county governments fail to provide essential services, such as quality healthcare.
“If anyone has pension claims, matters touching on death, misuse of power by administrators or police, report. We want residents to understand how to get help in our offices,” Kajuju said
Over the past week, the office has conducted training sessions in Meru, sensitizing key stakeholders, including chiefs, county staff, children’s offices, the Prisons department, the county commissioner’s office, DCI office, and security personnel. The goal is to raise awareness and put an end to injustices within local communities.
To ensure effective operation, the office will allocate funds specifically for resolving issues faced by disaster victims. These funds will also address climate change-related challenges.
Kajuju revealed that the World Bank has contributed funds from the national treasury, bolstering the office’s budget.
“The World Bank has donated funds from the national treasury increasing our budgetary. I want to encourage residents to report any incidents of office misuse by officers promptly,’’ Kajuju said.
Ultimately, the Ombudsman Office aims to restore confidence in the judiciary by obtaining feedback from the public and assessing institutional performance from their perspective.
