CJ Koome: Roll out of small claims courts causing major impact

Chief Justice Martha Koome says the rollout of more Small Claims Courts across the country has enhanced access to justice.

Speaking during a roundtable with members of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance, the CJ noted that the courts have ensured prompt resolution of commercial disputes involving values of less than 1 million shillings within 60 days.

The operations of these have been made possible courtesy of the appointment of adjudicators starting April 2021. There are now a total of 81 adjudicators across 37 operational courts.

“As of June 2024, these courts have handled 81,640 cases, resolving 68,167 and releasing 12.6 billion shillings back into the economy, with 13,473 cases still active,” said the CJ

At the same time, the Chief Justice assured Kenyans of the Judiciary’s commitment to ensure that the courts are corruption-free.

“To achieve this goal, we have revamped our complaints processing and investigation mechanisms to ensure efficient, expeditious, and effective handling of complaints,”

“We have embarked on a nationwide anti-corruption campaign targeting both the justice sector and the wider society, spearheaded by the National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ),” noted the CJ