Agency urges Judiciary to expedite witness cases

The Witness Protection Agency (WPA) has called on the Judiciary to expedite cases involving witnesses under their programme amid concerns over the slow pace of trials.

WPA Principal Public Relations Officer Calvin Oredi observed that protecting witnesses through a trial that is dragging on for years is a costly affair.

Speaking in Nakuru during a media training workshop by Association of Media Women in Kenya (AMWIK), Oredi lamented that frequent adjournments were affecting the programme financially.

“We want to implore the courts, whenever there are cases on protected witnesses they are fast tracked because there are others who also need such crucial services,” said Oredi.

He said there was need to have all criminal justice system players on board to ensure other deserving Kenyans are integrated to the programme in good time.

Watertight evidence

“Every individual sector of the justice system should do its part, if its investigations, let us have a comprehensive one so that when prosecution takes it to court it is full proof and they are able to move forward in terms of conviction,” said Oredi.

He added: “This makes it easy for the judges and magistrate to make a ruling because they will have evidence that is watertight that can sustain a case to full conviction,”.

Oredi on the other hand revealed the agency was facing consistent funding shortages since its inception, saying they are in talks with Treasury for more allocations.