Chief Magistrate Stella Atambo bids farewell to Thika Law Courts after Four Years

Speaking during a farewell dinner held in her honour in Thika, Atambo reflected on what she described as a period of “small but consistent strides” that cumulatively transformed one of the country’s busiest court stations.

Thika Law Courts, she noted, handles a high volume of cases, with a correspondingly large number of judicial officers and files. Since her posting in October 2021, the station has recorded significant improvements in case management, including the full digitisation and proper dating of all civil files.

“Every file in the civil registry now has a date and is captured in the system. Litigants can easily check the status of their cases through judiciary kiosks,” Atambo said, terming the move a major milestone in transparency and accountability.

Her tenure also focused on tackling corruption at the station level. Clear signage — including messages in vernacular languages — was installed across the court premises to discourage corrupt practices and guide court users on ethical conduct. According to Atambo, these initiatives contributed to a notable decline in the station’s corruption index.

Thika Law Courts has also consistently ranked among the top 10 courts nationally in case clearance rates. This, Atambo said, was achieved through teamwork and the introduction of a locally developed “service month” held every October, during which registries dedicate time to clearing dormant and long-pending files.

Beyond efficiency, Atambo championed alternative dispute resolution (ADR), leveraging her credentials as a certified and chartered professional mediator. Under her leadership, each court maintained an ADR register to track cases resolved through mediation, negotiation and reconciliation.

“From the bench, you realise that nearly half of the cases can be resolved amicably through ADR,” she said, adding that the approach significantly reduced congestion in remand facilities, including the Thika Remand Prison.

Reflecting on her career, Atambo cited a burial dispute involving two widows and 13 children as one of her most memorable cases. Through mediation, the family reached an agreement after years of conflict, enabling them to jointly organise the burial of their kin.

She also referenced a recent case that attracted public attention, involving a college student accused of stealing alcohol from a supermarket. Instead of imposing a harsh sentence, the court opted for a corrective approach aimed at instilling personal responsibility and moral reflection.

At the same event, Law Society of Kenya (LSK) Thika Chapter representative Mwangi Gachau lauded Atambo’s leadership, crediting her with unlocking long-standing bottlenecks in the expansion of court infrastructure in the region.

“For years we were told Thika could not host a High Court due to lack of space. When Stella Atambo came, that excuse no longer made sense,” Gachau said.

He revealed that engagement with the Kiambu County Government led to the allocation of space for the current court premises, a move that prompted the Judiciary to deploy a High Court judge to Thika.

Gachau called for the establishment of additional specialised courts, including the Employment and Labour Relations Court, noting that Thika’s growth into a smart city would attract investors and, inevitably, labour-related disputes.

“Such disputes should not have to be handled in Nairobi. A strong judiciary presence here will boost investor confidence and support sustainable development,” he said.