Justice
The Commission on Administrative Justice (Office of the Ombudsman) has opened its seventh regional office in Meru County, which is also expected to serve Nyeri, Embu, and Tharaka Nithi Counties.
Other six regional offices are situated in Mombasa, Kisumu, Isiolo, Nakuru, Garissa, and Eldoret in addition to service delivery offices established at various Huduma centers across the country.
Speaking during the official opening ceremony, the Commission Chairperson Florence Kajuju said the Ombudsman’s office established under the Kenya Constitution 2010, is a key institution in Kenya’s Vision 2030, aimed at strengthening good governance, the rule of law, and accountability.
Kajuju said the office is open to all members of the public, seeking any information or help and has the mandate of overseeing and enforcing the implementation of access to information. Thus, “Every individual under Article 35 of the constitution has a right to access information. The commission is also set to investigate improper conduct, abuse of power, and misconduct in the public service,” she said.
The Chairperson said the move is set to ease the residents’ burden of walking long distances and incurring costs in search of justice. Consequently, “We have been liaising with the Meru County Commissioner Jacob Ouma, on the modalities of having an office at the locality, and he has also helped us with security officers to man the office so that those coming can get help as it is supposed to be.”
“We have also agreed with the county leadership that we will bring on board the National Government Administration Officers (NGAO) so they can clarify the purpose and the duties of the ombudsman’s office to the people especially during their public barazas,” said Kajuju.
The office will come in handy in addressing any delays in the processing of retirement dues, salary issues, or other public service-related issues with the utmost dignity. Meanwhile, the Commission on Administrative Justice slogan, Mnyonge ana Haki, constantly reminds them to deliver justice to all Kenyans seeking their intervention without bias.