Chief Justice Martha Koome has called on all Kenyans to help in the fight against corruption, amid mounting pressure from several bodies calling for the Judiciary to stem the vice.
In her New Year message, Judge Koome added that judicial accountability, as demanded by the Constitution, requires a whole-of-society approach.
"Addressing this vice demands action at individual, family, community, and societal levels," she said.
Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and a group of lawyers, led by senior counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi, Gibson Kamau Kuria, Paul Muite, and Nelson Havi, had castigated the CJ over what they termed as her inability to handle bribery and rampant corruption in the Judiciary.
“Surveys and complaints indicate a judiciary that has failed to act on corruption claims, and this complacency continues to erode its ability to serve the public impartially,” LSK president Faith Odhiambo said on November 20, 2024.
But in her New Year message, the CJ said the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), remained resolute in investigating and addressing complaints related to unethical conduct while ensuring fairness in its processes.
The CJ termed 2024 as a challenging year, as many young Kenyans lost their lives, others were injured and property was destroyed during protests.
"As we usher in the year 2025, I pray that we will be more reflective and that respect for the Constitution and the Bill of Rights will remain our true north with the realisation that every life matters.
"I also celebrate Kenyans for believing in the rule of law and call upon us all to continue defending and being strong champions of justice," CJ Koome said.
She also pointed out that it was during the year that the Judiciary suffered significant budgetary constraints.
She, however, said the Judiciary made great strides in a bid to deepen access to justice and enhance the efficiency of the courts.
Justice Koome said the focus in 2024 on clearing case backlogs yielded remarkable results as the Case Clearance Rate (CCR) improved significantly, with courts achieving a 99 percent CCR, underscoring the Judiciary's commitment to delivering justice expeditiously.
At the beginning of 2024, there were 135 magistrate courts and five more courts were established, in a bid to further decentralise justice and enhance access to justice.
She said the High Court reviewed 27,257 cases during the year, contributing to the reduction of prison overcrowding by facilitating the release or transfer of 29,612 inmates.
The nationwide roll-out of e-filing across all court stations has been a major highlight of the year, she said, affirming her commitment to leveraging technology for judicial efficiency.
Resource constraints, she said, remained a significant challenge as currently, magistrates handle an average of 1,304 cases per person, while judges of superior courts handle 676 cases each.
She said this exceeds the recommended workload of 700 cases per judicial officer or 120 cases per judge to ensure trials conclude within three years and appeals within one year.
"Despite these challenges, our collective commitment to continuous improvement assures our unfettered ability to defend the constitution and the rule of law, no matter the circumstances," she said.
In December, Justice Koome invited LSK president Faith Odhiambo, a representative of senior bar counsel and heads of courts as well as JSC commissioners, for an engagement over complaints of corruption in the Judiciary.
In the paper, Ms Odhiambo pointed out that public confidence in the judicial system has significantly dwindled to an extent that even advocates, in occasions where they have clear-cut cases still seem helpless before their clients.
