Court Office Set on Fire in Bomet, Court Sessions Paralyzed

A shocking incident occurred on Tuesday night at the Bomet Law Courts after unknown individuals set part of the building on fire. The targeted section of the court housed important case files that are used during proceedings.

As a result, several people who had come for their scheduled hearings on Wednesday morning were left stranded since the files were no longer accessible.

Chief Magistrate Esther Booke, who addressed journalists at the court premises, revealed that the attackers had not only destroyed the office but also attempted to burn down the magistrates’ chambers.

According to her, signs of an attempted arson were discovered around Court 3, which houses one of the magistrates.

“We went round and discovered that there was also an attempt to burn the magistrates’ chambers. Something had been poured around the Court 3 chambers because it is the first one,” she explained, adding that the attackers appeared determined to cause more damage than they actually managed to.

The Law Society of Kenya (LSK), Bomet branch chairperson, Gideon Koech, strongly condemned the incident. He urged the Judiciary to act quickly and strengthen security in all court buildings to prevent similar attacks in the future.

“We are calling for the Judiciary to ensure that there are proper security mechanisms because we fear losing important case files to such incidents in future. Courts need to be secured with modern security features to protect both staff and sensitive documents,” Koech stressed.

Footage seen by Newshub.co.ke shows the lower part of the court building’s iron sheet wall completely burned through, leaving visible damage and raising more questions about how the attackers gained access.

Although police have already launched investigations into the matter, no suspects have been identified or arrested so far. Security officers in the county are now under pressure to move swiftly to bring those behind the attack to justice.

This incident comes just two months after a similar attack at the Kikuyu Law Courts on June 25. In that case, protestors stormed the premises during countrywide demonstrations marking the first anniversary of the June 25, 2024, anti-finance bill protests that claimed dozens of lives. The angry crowd torched buildings within the court compound as well as other government offices in the area.

Following the Kikuyu attack, Chief Justice Martha Koome condemned the incident in the strongest terms, describing it as an act of terrorism against the country’s justice system. She also warned that such attacks posed a direct threat to the rule of law.

Police later arrested 37 individuals in connection with the Kikuyu arson attack and charged them with terrorism-related offences.

The Bomet case has now sparked renewed fears of insecurity within the country’s judicial institutions, with calls for urgent reforms and stronger protection for courts across Kenya.

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