NAIVASHA, Kenya, Feb 1 – Courts must innovate in the quest to expand the doorways of justice, especially for the vulnerable in society, Chief Justice Martha Koome has emphasised.
Speaking in Naivasha on Wednesday at the opening of the first Magistrates and Kadhis Colloquium since 2018 due to the effects of the COVID pandemic, CJ Koome said everyone wants and deserves to do and receive justice.
“Study has shown that only 10 percent of disputes in this country end up in the court system. So this is why we are talking about the multi-door approach so that we can promote diversion and alternative avenues for dispute resolution,” the CJ stated.
The Chief Justice acknowledged that Magistrates and Kadhis Courts are the actual doorways of justice in Kenya.
“The bulk of the cases also which I put at 85 per cent of the workload that we have in the Judiciary and you carry the biggest workload. The implication is that if we get it right with your courts regarding service delivery then we will have resolved the problem of backlog,” she added.
The colloquium has been split into two phases to minimise disruptions and ensure that court stations across the country continue executing their mandate. All cases that will be rescheduled will be re-listed on a priority basis.
