Chief Justice Martha Koome has announced a raft of changes within the Judiciary as part of the effort to enhance service delivery and improve access to justice.
In a gazette notice published on Friday, May 2, Koome appointed Bett Kiprotich and Katina Mnangat to be members of the Micro and Small Enterprises Tribunal for five years.
She also appointed Linda Emukule and Raphael Kigamwa to be members of the Council of the National Council for Law Reporting for three years from March 13, 2025.
In the notice, Koome also made changes to the National Council on the Administration of Justice by appointing Emily Mubichi and Juliet Owala to be Joint Secretaries of the NCAJ Committee on Traffic Reforms.
While announcing the appointment of Mubichi and Owala to the NCAJ committee, the Chief Justice revoked the appointment of Susan Jean Ouko.
She further appointed Margaret Wanyoike to be Secretary of the NCAJ Working Committee on Information, Communication and Technology (ICT).
Following the appointment of Wanyoike, the head of the Judiciary cancelled the appointment of Jackie Mulwa and Irene Omari, who previously held the post.
Similarly, the Chief Justice extended the appointment of seven members to the NCAJ Committee on Anti-Corruption for another three years. They include Abdi Mohamud, Lucy Njuguna, Emily Mubichi and Juliet Owala.
The changes come a fortnight after Koome hinted at judicial reforms to restore public confidence amid claims of corruption within the judiciary.
Speaking during the Annual High Court Leaders Conference in Mombasa on April 17, she raised concerns about case backlogs and delayed judgments.
The Chief Justice, while addressing the delegation, called upon courts with higher adjournment rates to work with their Court Users Committees to improve service delivery.
She also urged all court stations to implement the “No Adjournment Policy” and expeditiously resolve long-standing cases, particularly in family, succession, and commercial matters.
Koome further reiterated the statutory requirement for delivering judgments within 60 days after hearings, calling on judges to adopt effective case management practices to end the trend of long-pending judgments.
"Kenyans want to see a Judiciary that is people-centred, efficient, ethical, and committed to delivering justice without delay," the CJ commented.
