The Judiciary has announced plans to hold public participation forums to gather Kenyans' views on strategies to enhance its efficiency and restore public confidence, following growing criticism over its performance and fairness.
In an internal memo seen by Kenyans.co.ke, Judiciary Chief Registrar Winfridah Mokaya directed all judicial heads and heads of stations to organise public barazas across court stations to collect feedback from the public.
“It is in pursuance of this vision that the Judiciary Leadership directed that the inaugural Judiciary Dialogue Day be held on 31st January 2025 in all court stations across the country,” the memo read in part.
“The purpose of the event is to provide an open forum where the Judiciary explains its services and processes to stakeholders and members of the public. Equally important is to provide a forum to receive feedback on the services that the Judiciary offers. It is envisaged that the day will henceforth be observed annually,” it added.
The judicial heads have been issued key directives that they will be required to put in place to ensure that the public participates effectively.
Each court station has been instructed to set up desks outside courtrooms, clearly labelled to indicate the various service delivery sections within the station.
''The Head of Station's opening remarks are expected to explain the role of the Judiciary in the context of the justice sector partnership and the process of handling and escalating complaints. The other Justice sector actors should also be given a chance to explain their various roles in the justice chain,'' the memo directed in part.
Additionally, the Heads of Stations and Deputy Registrars have been directed to file a report through their respective Registrars no later than February 21.
This development follows growing public criticism of Chief Justice Martha Koome and the Supreme Court judges. The backlash intensified after former Law Society of Kenya President Nelson Havi filed a petition with the Judicial Service Commission, calling for, among other demands, the resignation of all Supreme Court judges.
In the petition, Havi urged the JSC to compel President William Ruto to form a tribunal and begin the process of firing the seven accusing them of gross misconduct and misbehaviour among other issues.
''I swear this Affidavit in support of the complaint against Justices Martha Karambu Koome, Philomena Mbete Mwilu, Mohammed Khadar Ibrahim, (Dr) Smokin C Wanjala, Njoki Ndungu, Isaac Lenaola and William Ouko and ask that the Judicial Service Commission recommends to the President of the Republic of Kenya the formation of a Tribunal to remove the Judges from office,'' part of the affidavit read.
Also, the Judiciary has been grappling with a backlog of cases, with the Court of Appeal recording 13,331 pending matters as of May 2024, something that has resulted in public criticism.
The JSC, in an attempt to reduce the backlog, pushed for changes to the Judicature Act, increasing the maximum number of judges across judicial stations.
