Starting July 1, the Judiciary will release detailed performance records of judges and magistrates, a move expected to open up the courts to closer public review and reshape how justice is delivered.
Chief Justice Martha Koome said the decision is part of a wider reform agenda focused on improving efficiency, strengthening integrity, and making court operations more transparent to the public.
She described performance measurement as "a critical accountability mechanism" that must now be made public to reflect service delivery.
Under the new system, the public will be able to track how individual judicial officers manage their caseloads, including the number of matters concluded and those left pending. This marks a shift from evaluating the Judiciary as a whole to examining the output of each officer, a change likely to influence conduct and expectations within the courts.
The reform comes even as official data shows progress in handling cases. The State of the Judiciary and Administration of Justice report indicates that 621,525 new cases were filed in the 2024/25 financial year, while 647,666 were concluded, pushing the case clearance rate to 104 per cent.
Pending cases reduced to 598,628 from 635,262 recorded the previous year, while backlog cases declined by 31 per cent to 169,349.
Even with these improvements, the courts continue to face heavy pressure, with a large number of unresolved matters still in the system. Magistrates’ courts remain the most affected, carrying the bulk of pending cases.
By June 2025, magistrates’ courts had 470,558 cases yet to be determined. The High Court had 61,020 pending cases, while the Court of Appeal recorded 13,552.
This situation, where progress exists alongside continued delays, has informed the Judiciary’s decision to make individual performance visible, as part of efforts to improve service delivery and boost confidence in the justice system.
"There is a clear need to enhance transparency in the assessment of performance and reporting on the productivity of judges and judicial officers in a manner that reinforces public confidence while upholding judicial independence," said Justice Koome.
She noted that the Judiciary is working with the Law Society of Kenya and other partners to tighten accountability structures, improve openness, and safeguard the integrity of the courts.
The new framework is expected to highlight how each judicial officer performs, including workload, case completion rates, and delays, placing more responsibility on individuals to deliver results.
Law Society of Kenya President Charles Kanjama welcomed the step, saying it would improve oversight. “This is quite welcome, since it will contribute to judicial accountability,” Mr Kanjama said.
Senior Counsel and Bar chairperson Phillip Murgor also backed the plan, describing it as a necessary response to long-standing concerns over inefficiency and integrity within the Judiciary.