On Monday, April 7, CJ Martha Koome admitted that there exist delays in court processes and cases of corruption continue to be a pandemic. Chief Justice Martha Koome, while speaking at the Employment and Labour Relations Court (ELRC) Judges’ Conference, got much of the public’s attention.
CJ Koome highlighted that the most crucial area that needs instant improvement is in terms of the rate of case resolution. Additionally, the focus shall be shifted to case management. The CJ pointed out that the delays in solving cases diminished public confidence in courts.
CJ Koome addresses court delays
She noted, “We meet at a time when the judiciary has been placed under intense public scrutiny across the country. As we are all aware, concern has been raised about timelines and integrity among a few within our ranks.”
“For this reason, we are intensifying our focus on improving case management and ensuring that court users are not subjected to delays and administrative inefficiencies,” she added.
Therefore, CJ Martha Koome admitted the reason for frequent adjournments. She believes the delays go beyond any existing technical challenges. Also, Koome concluded that technical challenges just contribute to what led the public to be on the judiciary’s neck.
Over the recent years, the competency and integrity of the judiciary have been questioned by the public.
Issue on Corruption
Additionally, CJ Koome addressed issues of efficiency in handling corruption. She admitted that a grappling with renewed allegations of corruption exists in some of the court stations. Koome believes that these issues will be addressed. Furthermore, independent committees shall be established to counter graft.
She added, “To reinforce our constitutional integrity, we are rolling out court integrity committees across all court stations. These committees are designed to be inclusive platforms for judges, judicial officers, advocates, EACC representatives, and other stakeholders to share concerns and address unethical behavior.’
Interestingly, for the first time in Kenya’s history, a committee gets separated from the government in place to fight corruption. The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) shall only play a role of training and guidance to the committee.
