Accessible justice: CJ to unveil Tribunals Shared Services in Kisumu
Residents of Kisumu and the wider Nyanza region are set to benefit from enhanced judicial services with the launch of the Tribunals Shared Services, scheduled for this morning by Chief Justice Martha Koome.
The event will take place at Lake Victoria South Water Works Development Agency, Nyalenda, from 9:30 am.
In addition to improving access to justice by bringing services closer to the people, the initiative offers several other benefits, including access to multiple tribunals in one location, digital support for e-filing, virtual hearings, online platforms, and a central information hub serving over 26 tribunals.
The Judiciary adopted a Shared Services Model for Tribunals, which is a centralised approach that brings together key support functions like IT, infrastructure, finance, supply chain, communications, and human resources under one system.
Last year, the CJ unveiled the Tribunals’ Shared Service Infrastructure, Website, and Tribunal Registry Manual held at Kenya Re Towers in Upper Hill, Nairobi.
The launch is an initiative aimed at making information more accessible to Kenyans as envisaged under the Judiciary’s Blueprint Social Transformation through Access to Justice (STAJ), which advocates for the provision of people-centred justice.
“This model streamlines operations, eliminates duplication, and ensures better coordination across Tribunals by pooling resources and leveraging economies of scale. It is designed to optimize resource use, especially considering that many Tribunal members serve on a part-time basis, ensuring staff and resources are maximised to support the core mandate”, the Judiciary states.
Currently, 18 out of 26 Tribunals are organised under this model, which is aligned with the Judiciary’s Social Transformation Through Access to Justice (STAJ) vision.
The Judiciary notes that the ultimate goal is to provide the public with a seamless, standardised, efficient and exemplary customer experience across all Tribunals.