NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 8 – Chief Justice Martha Koome has reaffirmed Judiciary’s commitment to the values of integrity, and efficiency in delivering justice to the public.

The Chief Justice said that the Judiciary has intensified the focus on improving case management and ensuring that court users are not subjected to delays or administrative inefficiencies.

“We, as judicial officers and judges, find ourselves on trial – under public examination for how we manage cases and serve court users, and regrettably, for renewed allegations of corruption in some court stations,“ the CJ cautioned.

Speaking virtually at the start of the second cohort of the Magistrates and Kadhis colloquium themed: ‘Digital Transformation, Technology and the Law,’ the CJ highlighted the frequency of adjournments as an area of concern for court users, saying this not only delays justice but also contributes to growing public frustration and erosion of confidence in the courts.

“Another issue is the tendency to over-list matters in a single day – sometimes as many as 50 – which results in long delays and, in many cases, matters not being reached at all,” explained the Chief Justice.

She said that this practice is unfair to litigants and advocates who often wait in court all day, only to return home unheard.

“As judicial officers, we must ensure that we only list a manageable number of cases each day, guided by our capacity to hear and conclude them.”

Koome warned judicial officers against renewed allegations of corruption within court stations, saying the claims cannot be ignored.

“I want to state once again, unequivocally: The Judiciary is a corruption-free zone. We have adopted a zero-tolerance policy to corruption, and we are determined to enforce it without fear or favour.”

The CJ pointed out that the Judiciary was rolling out Court Integrity Users Committees across all court stations that are designed as inclusive platforms for judicial officers, advocates, representatives of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), and other stakeholders to raise concerns, share observations, and collaborate in addressing unethical behaviour.

“The new Court Integrity Committees offer us a means to identify and confront such misconduct collectively. I urge each of you to take personal responsibility for ensuring these Committees are not only established but are also effective in your respective court stations.”

CJ Koome noted that in the past, the anti-corruption approach relied heavily on complaints lodged with the Judicial Service Commission and the Office of the Judiciary Ombudsman.

“While important, this approach has limitations. We are now complementing the complaints approach with an intelligence-based model that involves working closely with the EACC and the National Intelligence Service,” she said.

The Chief Justice affirmed the Judiciary’s commitment to leveraging technology to transform the delivery of justice through a robust digital transformation agenda.

She said this involved mainstreaming the use of e-filing, and virtual courts in addition to working towards a national roll-out of transcriptions services with a Pilot National Transcription Centre that will support all court station.

The CJ maintained however, that technology alone is not a magic bullet saying that the effectiveness of digital systems ultimately depends on how the judicial officers embrace and use them.

She called on the officers to lead in adopting and making use of the digital tools, and nurturing a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.

“These innovations are not simply technological upgrades; they are fundamental tools for enhancing efficiency, transparency, and user satisfaction in our courts. However, I must stress that technology alone is not a magic bullet,” explained the CJ Koome.

Speaking at the conference, the Director the Kenya Judiciary Academy Justice Dr. Smokin Wanjala acknowledged that the Judiciary stands at the threshold of a paradigm shift, a digital revolution that is reshaping how justice is delivered, how evidence is presented, and how the very architecture of our legal processes is designed.

“We are witnessing, in real-time, the emergence of artificial intelligence, block chain, big data, cybersecurity, and other transformative technologies, forces that demand a Judiciary that is not only adaptive but also anticipatory.” said Justice Wanjala.

The Chief Registrar of the Judiciary Winfridah Mokaya noted that integrity, in particular, remains the cornerstone of justice. It is not merely about the absence of corruption—it is about being honest, impartial, and accountable in all that we do, adding that the people of Kenya look to us not just to interpret the law, but to be its most faithful stewards.