Chief Justice Martha Koome has raised the alarm over serious financial challenges facing Kenya’s judiciary, warning that years of progress in digitization and expanded access to justice are at risk without adequate funding.
Speaking during the launch of the State of the Judiciary and Administration of Justice (SOJAR) Report for the 2024/2025 financial year, she emphasized that the achievements of the past year, though notable, remain fragile if resources do not match the system’s growing demands.
“This occasion marks an important moment in our democratic calendar,” Koome said, noting that the report is “not simply a statutory requirement, it is a constitutional duty anchored in the values of transparency, accountability and public participation.” She outlined a productive yet challenging year for the judiciary, highlighting reforms and expansions that have improved service delivery nationwide.
Koome pointed to the operationalization of new High Court stations in Isiolo and Makadara, the expanded presence of the Court of Appeal, and the increase of magistrates’ courts to 143. She also noted that 59 mobile courts reached remote areas, resolving thousands of cases that might otherwise have stalled.
In total, the Judiciary resolved over 675,000 cases during the year, achieving a historic 104 percent clearance rate—handling more cases than were filed—and sharply reducing the backlog, particularly in the High Court.
However, the Chief Justice warned that these successes were achieved under significant financial strain. “The achievements in increased case clearance rate have been realized in the context of significant financial constraint,” she said. She cited growing infrastructure needs, aging servers under heavy digital workloads, and persistent staff shortages as ongoing challenges.
“If there is anything that gives me sleepless nights, it is imagining that we are going to lose the gains we have made in digitization,” she added. The Judiciary currently employs 6,909 staff, just 64 percent of its approved establishment, while demand for new courts continues to rise. “We don’t have money to open them,” Koome said, appealing to Parliament to allocate funds to match requests from MPs rather than merely submitting proposals.
Despite the constraints, Koome said the Judiciary had strengthened accountability through initiatives such as the Judiciary Spokesperson’s Office, a new call center, additional court-annexed mediation centers, and the inaugural Judiciary Dialogue Day. She also unveiled a simplified version of the Social Transformation through Access to Justice (STAJ) Blueprint, designed to help Kenyans understand reforms more easily.
“This guideline reflects our commitment to ensuring that Kenyans not only access justice, but also comprehend the systems and values that animate it,” she said. Koome praised judges, magistrates, and staff for maintaining operations under difficult conditions but stressed that goodwill alone cannot sustain progress.
“Our progress is the result of collective effort,” she said, “but to maintain it, we need the resources to match our expanding mandate.”
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, speaking at the same launch, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting judiciary funding. He noted that the allocation has risen modestly from Sh21 billion in 2022 to Sh26 billion this year and pledged further assistance.
“The Chief Justice has whispered to me that the Judiciary will be presenting a supplementary budget request—the executive, working with Parliament, will support that request,” he said.
