Chief Justice’s Roundtable with KEPSA

I hosted the 2024 Chief Justice’s Roundtable with the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA). Now in its third edition, this annual gathering highlights the Judiciary’s commitment to recognizing the crucial role our stakeholders play in improving the effectiveness and efficiency of our judicial system.
The Chief Justice’s Roundtable with KEPSA, representing our nation’s dynamic business community and professional bodies, serves as a dedicated platform for open dialogue. This initiative allows the Judiciary to receive valuable feedback and suggestions from the business sector, which is essential for strengthening Kenya’s business environment. By fostering confidence in our commercial justice system and ensuring quality and efficient commercial justice, we aim to enhance the ease of doing business and encourage increased investment in our country.
I updated the gathering on the significant progress made over the past year in our digitization and automation efforts, including the nationwide rollout of e-filing, which allows for remote case filing, fee assessments, case status inquiries, automatic case allocation, and document downloads. We are also introducing an AI-powered transcription system and establishing a Judiciary Transcription Centre for broader support. The launch of the causelist portal in March 2024 provides real-time access to court schedules, promoting transparency and accountability. Additionally, the new Judiciary Data Dashboard enables real-time performance monitoring of courts and judicial officers, and a forthcoming public court decision portal will offer easy access to case decisions. These initiatives aim to enhance Kenya’s investment appeal by improving the effectiveness and efficiency of contract enforcement through technological advancements in justice administration.

We are actively rolling out Small Claims Courts to ensure prompt resolution of commercial disputes involving values of less than 1 million shillings within 60 days. Since the first adjudicators were appointed in April 2021, we now have 81 adjudicators across 37 operational courts. As of June 2024, these courts have handled 81,640 cases, resolving 68,167 and releasing 12.6 billion shillings back into the economy, with 13,473 cases still active. The courts are now operational in 33 counties, with new locations in Voi and Garissa set to launch on July 24, 2024. Their informal and simple procedures have reduced case determination times to a median of 66 days.

I used the opportunity to assure KEPSA and all Kenyans of the Judiciary and the Judicial Service Commission’s unwavering commitment to ensure that our courts are corruption free. To achieve this goal, we have revamped our complaints processing and investigation mechanisms to ensure efficient, expeditious, and effective handling of complaints. Additionally, we have embarked on a nationwide anti-corruption campaign targeting both the justice sector and the wider society, spearheaded by the National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ). KEPSA is invited to join this initiative and contribute to a whole-of-society approach to tackling corruption.