NAIROBI, Kenya — Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi has reignited debate over the efficiency of Kenya’s Judiciary after claiming that High Court and Court of Appeal judges sit in court for an average of just 54 days a year, despite persistent case backlogs across the country’s courts.
In a post published on X on Monday, the prominent lawyer argued that the limited number of days judges spend hearing cases is a major contributor to delays in the administration of justice.
Ahmednasir broke down what he described as the Judiciary’s working calendar, noting that out of the 365 days in a year, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays account for 156 non-sitting days, leaving 209 potential working days.
He further cited judicial vacations, including a 45-day August-September recess, a 21-day Christmas break, a 14-day Easter vacation and 30 days of annual leave. He also factored in an estimated 30 days spent on workshops, seminars, training and foreign travel, as well as an average of 15 days for personal and family emergencies.
According to his calculations, the average High Court and Court of Appeal judge ends up sitting in court for only 54 days annually.
He further claimed that Supreme Court judges sit for between 25 and 28 days a year, while the Chief Justice presides over court proceedings for fewer than 15 days annually.
“With judges working just 54 days a year, do you now understand the second biggest challenge facing the courts?” Ahmednasir posed.
The lawyer argued that the figures help explain why Kenya continues to experience significant delays in resolving cases despite successive increases in the number of judges appointed over the years.
His remarks come amid continued public concern over lengthy court processes, with litigants often waiting years for civil, criminal and constitutional matters to be concluded.
The comments are also likely to fuel fresh debate over judicial reforms, case management systems and the balance between judicial workload, administrative duties and vacation periods.
The Judiciary has previously maintained that judges perform a wide range of duties beyond open court sessions, including researching legal issues, writing judgments and rulings, handling case management, conducting pre-trial conferences and undertaking administrative responsibilities, all of which contribute to the overall delivery of justice.
The Judiciary has also introduced digital case management systems, alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and additional judicial appointments in recent years as part of efforts to reduce case backlogs and improve access to justice.