The magistrate’s court in Nyahururu has urged owners of unclaimed cash bails and other securities worth millions of shillings to collect them soonest or the assets will be forwarded to the Unclaimed Financial Assets Authority (UFAA).

Chief Magistrate Evans Keago said some of the money and other securities have been under the court’s custody since 1996. Last year the magistrate made a similar appeal, when the value of the cash and securities was then put at about Sh30 million.

“The court through records is able to identify some of the owners but others are hard to identify due to the period they have remained unclaimed and others (owners) might have passed on,” he said.

The magistrate however said the value of some of the deposits and securities could have depreciated and appreciated with time. In addition to cash, other securities in custody of the court include motor vehicle log books and title deeds.

Safe custody
Keago was speaking during the start of Legal Awareness Week, organised by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK). He said owners or relatives of those who deposited the securities should visit the court, identify themselves and then be guided on how to collect the securities for safe custody and refunds for their bail.
Nyahururu law court serves some parts of Nyandarua, Nakuru, Baringo and Laikipia counties.

Meanwhile, the LSK Nyahururu chapter has advised Kenyans to take public participation seriously, saying it is the way of expressing their views on issues at both national and county level.

LSK Practicing Centre chairperson, Maurine Muriithi said it is a constitutional right for people to participate in public participation in any matter that concerns them.

She said the issue of public participation and how it’s supposed to be done has become of interest to people of late.