Courts have resolved 509,664 cases out of the 516,121 new cases filed in various courts this year, an annual Judiciary report released Friday shows.
This represents a 99
per cent overall Case Clearance Rate (CCR).
Criminal cases
constituted 57 per cent of the cases filed, a 3 per cent decrease from the
previous year.
In contrast, civil
cases increased by 3 per cent, continuing a four-year growth trend, the State
of the Judiciaryand Administration of Justice Report” (SOJAR) 2023-2024
indicates.
While unveiling the
report, Chief Justice Martha Koome attributed the CCR to efficiency of the
courts, which she noted recorded an improvement during the period.
She stated that there
was a 14 per cent increase in resolved criminal cases and a 32 per cent increase
in resolved civil cases, leading to a reduction in the case backlog.
“However, pending
cases rose by 1.2 per cent from 625,643 to 649,310, particularly affecting the
Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, Magistrates’ Courts and Small Claims Courts,” the
report says.
It focused on the
social transformation through access to justice blueprint aimed at creating an
independent, efficient, accessible and responsive institution that meets the
needs of all Kenyans, particularly the vulnerable and marginalised.
The report also highlights
ongoing issues and outlines recommendations for improvement.
It offers a
comprehensive account of the judicial system's performance while discussing the
challenges in delivering Judiciary’s constitutional and statutory mandate.
The report covers key
areas such as court efficiency, digital transformation, legal reforms, access
to justice and the challenges faced by the Judiciary.
In addition, the
report gives statistical data on case handling, clearance rates, transparency
and providing insight into the overall health of the justice system.
Through Mahakama
Popote, an initiative where judicial officers are deployed to resolve cases
across the country regardless of the court station in which a case is filed,
7,665 cases were handled, with 6,269 resolved, translating to a CCR of 79 per
cent.
During the period, some 2,095 cases
involving minors were resolved through the Children National Service Month.
At least 78 of them were
cases that had been in the judicial system for between 1–3 years while 448
cases had been in the system for more than three years.
During such periods,
Judiciary collaborates with other stakeholders to prioritise the resolution of
matters concerning children.
The Judiciary, Koome
said, also made significant progress in utilising technology to enhance access
to justice and improve service delivery during the year.
She said the
nationwide implementation of the e-filing system, the Case Tracking System
(CTS) expansion and the digitisation of court records are some of the key
technological advancements.
On enhancing access to
justice, the Judiciary established and upgraded various courts and tribunals
nationwide.
These are five new
High Court stations in Isiolo, Thika, Kibera, Nyandarua and Kwale, raising the
total number of counties with a High Court to 46.
The counties of
Nakuru, Kiambu, Nairobi and Laikipia now have two High Court stations each.
Some three Environment
and Lands Court (ELC) stations were also established in Nyandarua, Voi and
Naivasha, increasing the number to 40, including an ELC sub-registry in Lodwar.
Additionally, three
new Magistrates Courts - Port Victoria, Malaba and Etago - were upgraded from
Mobile Courts to fully-fledged courts, bringing the number to 140.
A total of 57 mobile
courts were operationalised during the year, reducing the average distance to
access the courts to 80 km.
As part of its
deliberate measures to establish courts at the border points to facilitate
cross-border trade, Judiciary created 27 Small Claims Courts.
They are located in
Busia, Chuka, Dadaab, Embu, Garissa, Kakuma, Kericho, Kerugoya, Kisii, Kitale,
Kitui, Lamu, Loitoktok and Makindu.
Others are in Malaba,
Malindi, Mandera, Migori, Moyale, Murang’a, Nanyuki, Narok, Ruiru, Siaya,
Taveta, Voi, and Wajir.
In terms of human
resource, the Judiciary said it promoted 2,290 employees and implemented new
staff welfare policies.
It operated at 68 per
cent of its approved establishment.
Gender distribution
showed there is 58 per cent male judges, with greater female representation
among magistrates.
Persons with
disabilities made up only 2 per cent of the workforce, below the 5 per cent
institutional target.
On accountability, CJ Koome
said they received 1,115 complaints, with 93 per cent resolved, mostly related
to judicial misconduct.
“Disciplinary actions were taken against judges, magistrates and staff, ranging from reinstatements to dismissals,” Koome said.
