Transformation and Incorporation of the Gusii Indigenous Justice Practices into British Colonial Judicial Systems, 1906 to 1963
Keywords:
Transformation,intergration,Gusii justice ptractices,Colonial period.Abstract
Transformation and functionality of a judicial system in any country is mandated, driven and guided by the changing needs of the affected people. This legal endevour forms part and parcel of the broad agenda of the transformation of the state and society. It aims at fundamentally getting rid of aspects that are irrelevant and introducing reforms that meets the current needs of governance structures of the society. In some cases, indigenous justice practices and precedence are often considered during transformation. This paper presents findings of the study that aimed at examining the transformation and integration of the Gusii traditional justice practices into colonial judicial systems in the period covering 1906 to 1963. Specific objectives of the study were; to examine the ways Justice was administered among the Abagusii prior to the Colonial period, to investigate how indigenous Gusii Justice was integrated into the colonial judicial system between 1906 and 1937 and to analyze the transformation and integration of Gusii indigenous justice practices into colonial judicial system between1939 and 1963. The study employed two major theories.These were; Structural functionalism and participation theories. Gusiiland which covers the present day Kisii and Nyamira counties in Kenya,was the centre of focus . Respondents in the study were drawn from retired Judges, long serving magistrates, advocates, council of elders, clan elders and other knowledgeable individuals thought to have an understanding of trends in the history of justice systems among the Abagusii. The sample size consisted of of 150 knowledgeable respondents. The study employed Purposive and snowball techniques to collect data. sampling research design. Non random sampling was used to select participants who the research Data collection instruments were; questionnaires and face to face interview schedules. Both primary and secondary sources were used to generate the information for the study. The study took a qualitative approach. Data was analyzed using the descriptive statistics. The study found out that some aspects of the Gusii traditional justice practices were incorporated in the British system. Some of these aspects are found even in today’s judicial system.Through this study, it is hoped that African Governments bring changes or reforms in their judiciary systems in the administration of justice to allow greater flexibility by integrating traditional justice methods. This may help in reducing backlog of cases lying in the courts of developing African countries today. The study is also set to benefit historians by adding new knowledge for comparative studies.
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