Six truck drivers arraigned as Malaba court commences its operation

Teso, Wednesday, May 24, 2023

KNA by Absalom Namwalo

It was a relief to residents of Teso North and Teso South sub-counties after Malaba Magistrate court commenced operations Tuesday.

On its first day of operations, six truck drivers were arraigned to face different charges majorly ranging from obstruction, overlapping and parking in undesignated places along the busy Eldoret-Malaba highway causing unnecessary traffic.

The six drivers; Majibo Boni, Ali Juma, Onesmus Mutiso, Jeremiah Mwangi, Simon Omondi, and Rogers Sande appearred before  Busia Chief Magistrate Edna Nyaloti where they all pleaded guilty of the offences and were slapped with a  fine of Sh40,000 each or serve one year jail term.

But in mitigation, the drivers slammed the county government over failure to create parking areas to allow truck drivers to rest to ease fatigue before they proceed with their journey.

“I had just left my truck for a long call before I was arrested for packing along the road thus causing obstruction,” noted Mutiso.

Other cases included operation of unlicensed illicit brew dens by Geoffrey Esike and Fred Diamondia at Kamolo area in Teso South who were fined by Sh5,000 or three months in jail.

Speaking to the residents and court users after the court session, Chief Magistrate Nyaloti urged the community to embrace the institution as way of ensuring justice is served to the affected families.

“The opening of Malaba Law court here at Amagoro is in line with the Chief Justice’s Blueprint of social transformation through access to justice by bringing justice closer to people,” noted Nyaloti.

The sentiments were echoed by the prosecutor in Busia High Court Faith Kabera who applauded the area MP Oku Kaunya for his effort to ensure that residents of Teso community get justice at their doorstep.

Teso North OCDP Joseph Matiku thanked the Judiciary for opening the court as it will be easy for the police department to enforce law and control traffic that has been major challenge transporting witnesses to testify in court in Busia against traffic offenders in case of accidents.

Even though it was a relief to the community, but a bad day to bodaboda operator who have the tendency of operating without driving licences, helmets or insurance among other offences as three bodabodas were also arraigned and fined Sh6500 for their difference offences committed.

The magistrate noted that she would set aside one day a week to render justice to residents of Teso North and South before Judiciary deploys a Resident Magistrate in July to fully operationalize the court.

Speaking on behalf of the community, retired High Court judge Justice Anyara Emukule acknowledged the move by Judiciary of ensuring the cost of seeking justice is mitigated to control the level of impunity in the community of Teso that has witnessed alarming cases of defilement and gender based violence in recent days.

“Defilement cases in Busia county are rampant hence need for creation of children court here at Malaba to mitigate the rise of such cases and avoid the witnesses from being compromised as most cases are family related,” noted Emukule.

The community now wants the Ministry of ICT in conjunction with Judiciary to provide internet in the court as a way of digitalizing the operation of the court to allow online sessions for high profile cases.

Courtesy; K.N.A