Huduma Centres to offer these 8 new services
Some judicial services will from next week be available at selected Huduma Centres in the country in a move aimed at decentralizing them and ensuring easy access by wananchi.
In a public notice on January 24, 2024, Huduma Centre explained it will expand its services to include judiciary services, making court-related services easily accessible.
“Starting January 29, 2024, Kenyans can now access nine essential judicial services conveniently from various Huduma Centers across the country. Your access to justice just got more accessible!” it said in a post on X.
The eight services will be available in six Huduma Centres located in various regions, GPO Nairobi, City Square, Makadara, Kibra, Eastleigh, and Thika.
The services include filing a new civil case, submitting documents for an existing case, and requesting and issuing summons. Other services encompass requesting and issuing mentioned dates, general case inquiries, E-filing support, payment of fines and deposits, and virtual court support.
In September 2021, Chief Justice Martha Koome reviewed court fees, this was besides revoking the fees assessment schedule issued by her predecessor David Maraga, Judge Koome revised the fees charged on various services offered by the Judiciary.
She also introduced new charges on lodging documents that were not listed in Judge Maraga’s schedule.
In the new schedule that came into effect on September 1, 2021, filing any type of application at the High Court, except on criminal matters, now costs Sh1,500 up from Sh750.
On civil cases filed at the High Court, the CJ introduced a minimum of Sh2,000 fee for unliquidated claim, originating summons or counterclaim.
Apart from filing a new civil case that has been introduced at Huduma Centre, all the other services are offered for free.
In September 2023, Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria announced that the government would soon introduce a fee for services offered at Huduma Centres across the country.
Mr Kuria said the fee will be charged on both government and private sector services. He, however, did not reveal how much the fee would be.
“My first area in that endeavour is to ensure Huduma Centres do not depend on money from the Exchequer but generate our revenue. You have been enjoying this service for so long without paying for it. Now there will be no more free lunch. You have to pay for it,” said Mr Kuria then.
“For so long you (Kenyans) have been enjoying these services without paying. We will introduce a fee for government service to support our e-commerce because Huduma Centre will be the backbone for e-commerce.”
The centres see about 60,000 daily transactions.
The “one-stop shop” was launched in 2013 by former President Uhuru Kenyatta alongside then Deputy William Ruto at the Teleposta Building in Nairobi for citizens to access and pay for government services electronically to cut corruption and bureaucracy.
During the launch, he said public inefficiency had bred corruption, wasted time, and “cost billions”.
“For a long time Kenyans have been subjected to moving from place to place in search of services from the government,” he said at the launch of the pilot centre.
“Kenyans and visitors became accustomed to being frustrated numerous times in their quest for public service: ‘Come tomorrow’; ‘Go to this or that other office first’; ‘Bring a copy of your identity card’; and so on.
“Endless, static queues have been the order of the day, wasting countless hours. Public service became the epitome of inefficiency. This inefficiency bred corruption, initiating a cycle of vice which has tormented many and cost the country billions.”
For this reason, Huduma Kenya merges numerous related public services within one location, possibly on the same floor so that Kenyans can easily access them.
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