The Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ), also known as the Office of the Ombudsman, took its services closer to the people with an outreach visit to Kerugoya, Kirinyaga County, aimed at collecting and addressing public complaints and promoting accountability in government offices.
The initiative was organised by CAJ in conjunction with NGAOs who helped in mobilising residents to take advantage of the opportunity of learning their rights while being served in government offices.
Speaking during the visit, the Commission’s Vice Chairperson, Dorothy Jamator, said the outreach team from the headquarters in Nairobi had come to support ongoing work by regional officers and to engage directly with residents of Kirinyaga County. She noted land disputes and succession among other cases the residents raised.
“We have received more than ten complaints from the people of Kirinyaga. These include land and succession disputes as well as judicial matters. Some cases have stalled in courts for long,” Ms Jamator said.
She added that the Commission had also received a case involving a chief who was in dispute with a resident and allegedly failed to comply with a court order to turn up during the mentioning of the case. Evidence from the matter has been collected and will be forwarded for further investigation.
Ms Jamator assured residents that the Ombudsman’s services are free of charge, noting that no member of the public should pay to lodge a complaint noting that upon receiving a complaint they act within the utmost 28 days.
“Our role is to ensure that public officers serve citizens fairly, lawfully, and efficiently. If you have complaints regarding land, succession, identification documents, birth or death certificates, or access to government information, you can come to us,” she said.
The Commission also used the visit to raise awareness about its offices across the region. Apart from the Nairobi headquarters, CAJ has offices in Embu, Nyeri, Meru, and Nyahururu. Members of the public can also reach the Ombudsman through the email complain@ombudsman.go.ke
By Mutai Kipng’etich
