NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 27 – Chief Justice Martha Koome has unveiled five landmark justice sector reform instruments aimed at accelerating digital transformation, strengthening responses to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), and enhancing access to justice through greater institutional coordination. Speaking during the opening of the 38th National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ) Council Meeting in Mombasa, Koome said the reforms are designed to build a justice system that is fair, efficient, accessible and responsive to the needs of all Kenyans. The two-day meeting has brought together key institutions in the justice sector to review progress, strengthen collaboration and deliberate on reforms aimed at improving service delivery.
Koome noted that although institutions within the justice sector have distinct constitutional and statutory mandates, they share the collective responsibility of ensuring justice is delivered effectively. She explained that ordinary Kenyans experience the justice system as a single chain comprising investigators, prosecutors, courts, legal aid providers, correctional services and rehabilitation agencies. “The public does not experience the justice system as separate institutions.
Any weakness in one institution inevitably affects public confidence in the entire justice chain,” she said. She emphasized that the National Council on the Administration of Justice, established under the Judicial Service Act, exists to strengthen cooperation among these institutions and ensure justice is delivered fairly, promptly and efficiently. Among the flagship initiatives launched was the Justice Sector ICT Policy and Action Plan, which provides a framework for accelerating digital transformation across justice institutions.
The policy seeks to improve coordination through secure information sharing, stronger data governance and evidence-based decision-making. Koome highlighted several milestones already achieved under the Judiciary’s digital agenda, including integration of the Judiciary’s Case Tracking System with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions’ Uadilifu Case Management System, enabling electronic transmission of criminal case files and charge sheets. She said the digital reforms are expected to reduce case delays, improve efficiency and gradually transition the justice sector towards a paperless system.
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