Chief Justice Martha Koome has raised alarm over a significant funding shortfall in Kenya’s justice sector, revealing a Sh131 billion gap between the current Sh198 billion allocation and what is required for effective service delivery.
Speaking at State House in Nairobi on Monday, Koome emphasised the need for sustained investment, improved infrastructure, and strengthened enforcement to enhance accountability and efficiency across the judiciary and related agencies.
“The sector agencies need infrastructure expansion — police stations, prisons, the judiciary — as well as motorbikes, computers and other administrative utilities,” Koome said, underscoring the operational challenges that limit the justice sector’s ability to function effectively.
According to the 2024/25 financial year, the Judiciary was allocated Sh24.7 billion, a modest rise from Sh22.4 billion in 2023/24.
However, figures from the Treasury and the State of the Judiciary and Administration of Justice Report (SOJAR) reveal that this allocation falls far short of the Sh198 billion cited as necessary.
The Judiciary has consistently argued for funding closer to 2.5% of the national budget, but current allocations remain below this threshold, resulting in a significant funding gap.
Koome highlighted the pivotal role of the National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ), established under the 2010 Constitution and the Judicial Service Act, as a platform for sector-wide reforms.
She stressed that coordination and collaboration are critical, saying, “None of us can succeed alone. We must act together and work with synergy, ensuring that the justice sector remains accountable and efficient, and provides access to justice for citizens.”
She warned that failures in traffic law enforcement exemplify systemic weaknesses: “When there are fatalities, accidents on the roads, it doesn't matter whether it is NTSA that has failed, whether it is the police, prosecution or the court — all of us as a country, we have failed our country.”
Koome revealed that in 2024/2025, 62,932 traffic cases were filed, including reckless driving, causing death, contravening insurance laws, and driving under the influence of alcohol.
The Chief Justice also highlighted the economic and human toll of road accidents, noting that the Ministry of Health estimates annual healthcare costs attributable to road traffic accidents at Sh48.5 billion, covering emergency services, hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, and long-term care.
“The average cost of treating a road traffic accident victim is about Sh69,000 for moderate injuries and Sh147,000 for severe injuries, with admissions ranging from 10 to 24 days,” she said.
To address these challenges, Koome called for the enactment of the NCAJ Bill to provide independent funding and operational autonomy, fast-tracking amendments to the Traffic Act for instant fines and demerit points, and the development of an integrated ICT-based traffic case management system linking enforcement, adjudication, and transport agencies.
She also urged public awareness campaigns, strengthened anti-corruption mechanisms, and coordinated reforms across the justice sector to ensure efficiency, accountability, and safer roads.
“The NCAJ has outgrown the space provided by the Judicial Service Act. It is time for a bill that allows it to walk on its own, strengthening justice sector coordination, continuous reform, and sustainable funding,” Koome said.
