Chief Justice Martha Koome has established eight new Environment and Land court stations, raising the number to 34.
Eight judges will from next month sit full-time in the newly established courts in Nyamira, Kilgoris, Siaya, Vihiga, Kwale, Isiolo, Homa Bay and Nanyuki.
Speaking to 27 newly appointed judges during an induction course on Wednesday, Justice Koome said she hopes to see improved access to justice and expeditious disposal of cases.
The judges comprise 18 from the Land court and nine from the Employment and Labour Relations Court (ELC).
“Your appointment brings hope to Kenyans seeking justice through your courts,” she told the judges at a Nairobi hotel.
The ELC now has 51 judges following the latest appointments. It has 15,800 pending cases with Mombasa and Milimani having the highest bundle at 2,093 and 1,993 respectively.
“Approximately 60 per cent of cases adjudicated in our courts are land matters or have a land related dimension,” the CJ said.
In regard to the Labour Court, the CJ has appointed has three full-time judges in Kericho, Malindi and Bungoma. The court has 13,500 cases pending, with the bulk of cases at 9,500 being in Nairobi.
In her address, the Chief Justice said every Judge should take individual initiative to reduce backlog and ensure that they hear and determine cases in a timely manner.
"My expectation is that no case should take more than three years before a trial court and no more than one year in an appellate court,” she emphasised.
She also urged the judges to embrace active case management to deal with the expected rise in case filings.
