Chief Justice David Maraga has been blamed for the inefficiency of service delivery in courts countrywide following a shortage of judges.
Court of Appeal President William Ouko on Wednesday divulged that after the appointment of CJ Maraga and his deputy Philomena Mwilu at the Supreme Court, their positions at the Court of Appeal have not been filled.
The judges faulted their president for not prioritising the replacement of the judges who have either been appointed to different positions or have retired.
[caption caption="File image of Chief Justice David Maraga and other judges of the Supreme Court"]
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Justice Ouko further noted that his predecessor, Justice Kihara Kariuki's appointment as the Attorney General has also affected the courts.
"After the exit of the three, we are yet to get replacements and that has strained our operations and proper service delivery.
"We also have a big shortage of clerks in our courts, forcing two or more judges to be served by a single clerk," he exclaimed.
Ouko added that for efficiency, at least each judge must have his or her own clerk, however, that is not the case currently.
"Some court officials have also retired but have not yet been replaced," he mentioned.
Ouko was speaking during the Judiciary Training Institute's retreat for Appeal Judges at Serena Beach Hotel in Mombasa.
Among other court officials, Ouko used the four-day retreat to outline his five-year vision for the Court of Appeal, emphasising on integrity and asking the appellate judges to maintain the confidence Kenyans have in them.
However, he called on the judges to align their strategies with CJ Maraga's overall vision of the Judiciary.
[caption caption="File image of Court of Appeal Judge William Ouko"]
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