OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS

SUMMARY

DPP SEEKS AUTHORITY TO RECRUIT MORE STAFF

The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) has decried an acute shortage of staff in the fight against crime in his office, which has adversely impacted on crime, access to prosecutorial services and dispensation of justice in the country. Currently the office has 248 legal staff as against the optimal staff establishment of 927, while the non-legal staff stands at 248 of the optimal 370. It is on this note that the DPP wrote to the National Treasury on 21stJanuary 2014 seeking authority to use Ksh137 million of unspent funds allocated to the office during the 2013/2014 Financial year to recruit more staff. The funds are to be used to hire 267 legal staff, 74 prosecution assistants and 74 non-legal staff. In the letter addressed to The Cabinet Secretary National Treasury and copied to The Chief Justice and The Head of Public Service;the DPP requested authority to use the unspent balances to recruit additional staff, instead of surrendering the balances to the Treasury. Following the massive expansion of the Judiciary, the recruitment of judges and magistrates, the Office of the Director Public Prosecution (ODPP) is in dire need of more legal and non-legal staff. This is in order to match and compliment the Judiciary for effective dispensation of justice. Without corresponding expansion of the ODPP staff, there is likely to be increased backlog of cases and hence delay in dispensation of Justice.

As a result, the ODPP wants the government to exempt his office from a stall imposed in November 2013, stopping recruitments and salary adjustments in government institutions. The exception will enable the ODPP to hire more staff for efficient prosecutorial service delivery. 24th January 2014.