- Machakos Woman Representative Joyce Kamene has linked rising cases of drug abuse to defilement, school dropouts and other social problems in Mwala.
- She urged the Judiciary to impose tougher penalties on drug traffickers and offenders.
- Judicial officers also promoted court-annexed mediation as a faster and more affordable way of resolving disputes.
Machakos Woman Representative Joyce Kamene has raised alarm over rampant drug abuse in Mwala Sub-county, linking it to rising cases of defilement, school dropouts and other social challenges.
Speaking during the launch of a Court-Annexed Mediation Programme at Wamunyu Law Courts, Ms. Kamene said the abuse of bhang, muguka and other narcotic substances is destroying families and wasting the potential of young people.
“We must seriously address the issue of bhang and drugs. If you find a nine-year-old child who has been defiled, that perpetrator was not in their right mind. Most likely they had taken drugs such as bhang or muguka,” she said.
The Woman Representative decried the impact of drug abuse on education, saying it is contributing to increased school dropouts and criminal behaviour.
“It is causing school dropouts and wasting otherwise promising lives. We must end this drug menace before it destroys another generation,” she added.
Kamene further urged the Judiciary to strengthen the fight against drug abuse through swift prosecution and stiffer penalties for traffickers and offenders.
Judiciary promotes mediation
Speaking at the same event, Wamunyu Law Courts Senior Resident Magistrate Eugene Pascal said the introduction of court-annexed mediation would help decongest courts and speed up the delivery of justice.
He said the public sensitisation forum was intended to create awareness of the advantages of mediation over lengthy litigation.
“This is a very good initiative because it is not a must to go through the full court process with several mentions and hearings that lead to wastage of time. Cases that can be handled through mediation should be expedited so that justice is not delayed,” said the magistrate.
He observed that mediation provides an effective alternative for resolving disputes and reducing the growing backlog of cases in the Judiciary.
“Being a mediator is part of our culture. When there are crises in families or communities, people without formal education often help resolve them. Professionalising mediation is what we are talking about now, and society will benefit when people embrace it as a method of conflict resolution,” he added.
Faster and affordable justice
The Senior Resident Magistrate said the mediation programme launched at Wamunyu Law Courts would handle civil disputes, family matters and minor offences, allowing courts to concentrate on more serious criminal cases.
He noted that mediation enables parties to resolve disputes more quickly and at a lower cost.
“People spend many years and a lot of money pursuing cases in court, yet through mediation such matters can be resolved within months on terms acceptable to all parties,” he said.
He urged officers attached to the Court-Annexed Mediation Programme to intensify public awareness campaigns on the benefits of mediation.
Lower Eastern Court-Annexed Mediation Secretariat Team Leader Hon. Barbara Akinyi described mediation as an effective tool for resolving disputes and promoting peaceful coexistence.
She said many disputes currently before the courts could be settled through mediation if members of the public understood how the programme works.
“Sensitisation is key to helping people understand Court-Annexed Mediation, and I believe many people would prefer a system that offers quicker resolution of disputes,” she said.
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Ms. Akinyi added that the programme seeks to promote peace, forgiveness, equity, social justice and the welfare of communities by encouraging affordable and conciliatory methods of dispute resolution.
By Gastone Valusi
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