Kenyan Judiciary has decided to establish a construction unit to be based in Nairobi, a decision which follows reports that the judiciary lost US$7.2m in deals with independent consultants between 2012 and 2013 fiscal year.

The new construction unit will be headed by a chief architect and the Judicial Service Commission has also advertised other positions. The recruitment is expected to arrive at different 11 specialists – engineers, surveyors, architects, electricians and valuers.

JSC will also hire superintendent of works, who will be posted in Mombasa, Nakuru, Nairobi, Kisumu, and will ensure that the Judiciary projects achieve specifications on quality and time delivery.

A recent Auditor General’s report on operations revealed that the Judiciary had lost money in purchase of property, construction of buildings in various parts of the country – prefabricated court houses – and supervision of construction works. The recruitment could help the situation since the Judiciary has previously sought private practitioners for construction works supervision and consultation services.