One-year delay in minor’s assault case ends after Ombudsman intervention
NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 18 — A criminal case involving an assaulted minor that had stalled for more than a year has been fixed for mention following intervention by the Commission…
A one-year delay in a criminal case involving an assault of a minor has been resolved after intervention by the Commission on Administrative Justice and the Office of the Ombudsman in Kenya. The case, pending at Mombasa Law Courts since June 2025 after the accused took a plea, had made little progress until the Commission intervened following a complaint by the minor's grandfather.
The complaint was filed on May 18, 2026, alleging the Judiciary's failure to progress the case involving the minor. The grandfather reported that his grandchild had been assaulted, leading to a police report. The accused was charged in Mombasa, but the case remained stuck since the suspect's plea, causing significant harm to the minor.
The prolonged delay affected the child's education and wellbeing, with the minor missing six months of school while receiving trauma counseling and attending court mentions and adjourned hearings. The family also complained about inconsistent information on mention and hearing dates.
The Commission referred the case to the Office of the Judiciary Ombudsman on May 20, 2026, seeking intervention. The Ombudsman confirmed on July 7 that the case had stalled after the trial magistrate handling it was appointed as a judge. The Judiciary Ombudsman subsequently fixed the case for mention on July 23, 2026, for further directions, bringing an end to the period of uncertainty and enabling the matter to return to the court process.
Written by urgent.news from Capital FM Kenya's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
