MOMBASA, Kenya – Chief Justice Martha Koome has reiterated the Judiciary’s commitment to integrity, efficiency, and public accountability, amid growing concerns over delays and corruption in the court system.
Speaking Tuesday at the opening of the Magistrates and Kadhis Colloquium in Mombasa, themed “Digital Transformation, Technology and the Law,” Koome urged judicial officers to confront operational challenges and restore public trust.
“We, as judicial officers and judges, find ourselves on trial—under public examination for how we manage cases and serve court users, and regrettably, for renewed allegations of corruption in some court stations,” she said.
Tackling Case Backlogs
Koome singled out chronic case delays, frequent adjournments, and the over-listing of cases as key obstacles to justice.
“Listing 50 or more cases in a single day is neither practical nor fair to litigants. It leads to frustration and erodes confidence in the judicial system,” she said.
She called on magistrates and Kadhis to only list a manageable number of cases each day based on their capacity to hear and conclude them, saying, “It is a matter of dignity and justice to ensure court users are served effectively.”
Judiciary Cracks Down on Corruption
In a strong warning, the Chief Justice reaffirmed that the Judiciary has adopted a zero-tolerance policy to corruption.
“I want to state once again, unequivocally: the Judiciary is a corruption-free zone,” she declared. “We are determined to enforce this policy without fear or favour.”
To strengthen internal accountability, Koome announced the establishment of Court Integrity Users Committees across all court stations—structures she said would help identify and root out unethical conduct.
The Judiciary is also shifting away from its traditionally reactive, complaints-driven anti-corruption model to a more proactive, intelligence-based approach, in partnership with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the National Intelligence Service (NIS).
Digital Reforms and Innovation
On the digital front, Koome championed reforms such as e-filing, virtual courts, and a national transcription system as key tools for transforming court processes.
“These innovations are not just technological upgrades—they are fundamental tools for enhancing efficiency, transparency, and user satisfaction,” she said.
However, she warned that the success of these systems depends on the willingness of judicial officers to fully embrace them.
“We must foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement,” she urged.
Justice Smokin Wanjala, representing the Kenya Judiciary Academy, described the Judiciary as being “at the threshold of a paradigm shift,” shaped by technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain, and big data.
“These forces require us to build a Judiciary that is not only adaptive but also anticipatory,” he said.
Chief Registrar of the Judiciary Winfridah Mokaya echoed the call for ethical conduct, noting that integrity goes beyond the absence of corruption.
“It is about being honest, impartial, and accountable in all that we do,” she said.
The colloquium brought together judicial officers from across the country to engage on best practices in law, ethics, and innovation.
