NAIROBI, Kenya — The Supreme Court of Kenya has rolled out a WhatsApp chatbot and an online registry system to allow lawyers and the public to access court information and services remotely.
In a public notice on Monday, February 9, the apex court said the chatbot, accessible via 0700 340 972, provides practice directions, court rules, details on services, and access to Supreme Court decisions, among other functions.
The initiative forms part of the court’s broader digital transformation strategy aimed at enhancing efficiency, service delivery, and public access to justice.
The online registry, hosted on Microsoft Teams, is designed to reduce the need for physical visits to court registries.
Court users can engage with the Virtual Registry on working days from 8:30 am to 10:30 am and 2 pm to 3:30 pm, and additional support is available through dedicated mobile lines and the judiciary’s ICT support channels. For official correspondence, the Supreme Court advised using designated email addresses.
Despite the digital shift, physical services remain operational at the Supreme Court’s central registry in Nairobi, Room 8, as well as sub-registries in Kisumu Law Courts and the Court of Appeal Building in Mombasa.
The move aligns with the judiciary’s broader efforts to leverage technology, reduce operational costs, decongest court facilities, and improve turnaround times. It complements existing initiatives such as virtual courts, which conduct proceedings via video conferencing.
