The Judiciary has announced that it will conduct an institution-wide employee census on Thursday, October 30, as part of its continued efforts to strengthen accountability and enhance human resource management within the institution.
Chief Justice Martha Koome, in an announcement made on Thursday morning, revealed that the exercise is part of the Judiciary’s commitment to maintaining the integrity of institutional data.
At the same time, she noted that the census will support accurate and reliable information for effective decision-making across all court stations and administrative units.
“The Judiciary has, over the years, embraced a culture of proactive and continuous improvement in its operations, with a strong commitment to maintaining the integrity of its institutional data,” Koome stated.
According to the Judiciary, the census aims to strengthen human capital management, support staff rationalisation, and optimise resource allocation.
Additionally, the exercise will also ensure that human resource systems are efficient, transparent, and aligned with the Social Transformation through Access to Justice (STAJ) blueprint.
The Judiciary explained that the exercise follows a similar initiative conducted in 2018, which proved instrumental in improving accountability and institutional planning.
It is worth noting that similar audits have also been implemented by other public bodies such as the Public Service Commission (PSC), the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), and the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) in the past.
In 2021, the Judiciary, in an exercise similar to this, invited the EACC to conduct a systems review and audit of its policies, procedures, and practices, aiming to identify and strengthen integrity and accountability measures within the institution.
Meanwhile, Koome added that the upcoming census represents a continuation of these reform efforts aimed at enhancing transparency and efficiency in the Judiciary’s operations.
The Judiciary further assured court users, advocates, and the general public that the exercise has been organised in a manner that will ensure minimal disruption to judicial proceedings.
A new report by the Auditor General, released in July this year, revealed that in the financial year ending June 30, 2024, there were possible cases of ghost workers in the Judiciary.
According to the audit, the Judiciary reported a staff complement of 8,330 compared to 6,014 in the previous year, marking an increase of 2,316 employees. However, only 136 new contracts were documented, leaving an unexplained variance of 2,180 staff whose legitimacy could not be verified.
