The Supreme Court will suspend its regular sittings for six weeks from August 1, but urgent cases will continue to be heard during the period under arrangements announced by Chief Justice Martha Koome, ensuring essential court services remain available to the public throughout the recess.
In a Gazette notice published as Gazette Notice No. 9829, the Chief Justice announced that the court's August recess will begin on Saturday, August 1, 2026, and end on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, with both dates inclusive.
"The Supreme Court August recess will commence on Saturday, 1 August 2026, and terminate on Tuesday, 15 September 2026, both days inclusive," the Gazette notice signed by Chief Justice Martha Koome states.
Even with the temporary break from normal court sessions, the Supreme Court said urgent matters will continue to receive attention throughout the recess.
"The duty Judge will be available during the recess to deal with urgent matters," the notice states.
The court also assured litigants, advocates and other court users that registry services will continue without interruption during the recess.
According to the notice, the Supreme Court Registry will remain open to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays, except on public holidays.
"During this period, the Supreme Court Registry shall be open to the public from 8.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. on all weekdays other than public holidays," the notice adds.
Court users will continue accessing services through the Main Registry at the Supreme Court Building in Nairobi, the Mombasa Sub-Registry at the Old Court Building and the Kisumu Sub-Registry at the Kisumu Law Courts Building.
The Judiciary also said services will remain available through the court's virtual registry on the Microsoft Teams platform, its WhatsApp chatbot, WhatsApp channel, the official Supreme Court website and designated email addresses during the recess.
The Gazette notice was issued under Article 163(1)(a) of the Constitution, Sections 6A and 29D of the Supreme Court Act, 2011, and Rules 4, 5 and 7 of the Supreme Court Rules, 2020.
The notice provides guidance to litigants, advocates and members of the public on how the Supreme Court will operate during the recess, assuring court users that while normal sittings will pause, urgent matters and registry services will continue throughout the period.