Chief Justice Martha Koome has announced that the Supreme Court of Kenya will go on a six-week break.
In a gazette notice dated July 8, Koome, who also serves as the President of the Supreme Court of Kenya, stated that the court will recess from August 1, 2025, to September 15, 2025, both days inclusive.
According to Koome, the court recess is in line with the Constitution of Kenya, the Supreme Court Act, and the Supreme Court Rules 2020.
“Pursuant to Article 163(1)(a) of the Constitution of Kenya, Section 6 of the Supreme Court Act, 2011, and Rules 4, 5 and 7 of the Supreme Court Rules 2020, the Chief Justice gives notice as follows: The Supreme Court August recess will commence on Friday, August 1, 2025, and terminate on Monday, September 15, 2025, both days inclusive,” the notice stated.
She said that the court registry will remain open to the public during the recess period, from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm on all weekdays, excluding weekends and public holidays.
In the notice, Koome noted that the court will only be open during the recess to handle urgent matters.
"The duty Judge will be available during recess to deal with urgent matters. During this period, the Supreme Court Registry shall be open to the public from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm on all weekdays other than public holidays," part of the notice reads.
According to Koome, this is part of the judiciary calendar, during which judges are allowed to write judgments or handle internal court matters away from the office.
They will be allowed to take a break from legal proceedings, like trials of legislative sessions, until the mentioned date.
The court goes on recess to allow judges time to focus on tasks such as conducting legal research and writing opinions, work that cannot be carried out effectively while the court is in active session.
The duration and dates of court recesses vary depending on the location and are determined by the Principal Judge.
For instance, the High Court in Garissa had a recess from December 23, 2024, to January 13, 2025.
