The Commission on Administrative Justice (Ombudsman) has called on the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) to promptly address and publicize the outcomes of public complaints against the Judiciary.
Chairperson Charles Dulo expressed concern over the delays in resolving complaints and petitions filed against certain judicial officers and judiciary staff.
“The CAJ has received and forwarded over 700 cases of maladministration to the judiciary in the last five years, nearly 60 per cent of which remain unresolved, undermining the quest for justice for aggrieved Kenyans,” Dulo stated at a press conference on Tuesday.
The Ombudsman confirmed that the complaints against judicial officers pertain to delays in issuing judgments, inefficiency, unresponsive official conduct, unlawful conduct, manifest injustice, unfair treatment, abuse of power, and discourtesy.
“Some complaints raise serious issues, such as fraudulent access to funds from the judiciary’s deposit account, the fraudulent use of deposited security through doctored proceedings, solicitation of bribes, inordinate delays in delivering judgments, and the issuing of ‘air judgments’,” Dulo added.
Although the Ombudsman has requested a status report on the complaints lodged in writing to Chief Justice Martha Koome, it has yet to receive a response. Dulo now urges the Chief Justice to “speedily and conclusively” resolve the complaints against the judiciary.
Dulo noted that the commission’s actions are grounded in the Constitution and the law, aimed at addressing maladministration in the public sector while promoting transparency and accountability in governance. He pointed out that the judiciary is one of the public institutions facing numerous complaints of maladministration lodged with the commission.
“The judiciary is the citadel of the rule of law and occupies a special place in Kenya’s governance system. In this regard, while recognizing the independence of the judiciary, the Constitution mandates the judiciary to be accountable to the public,” the CAJ chairperson stated.
The Commission further encouraged Kenyans to continue raising complaints whenever they encounter service failures in the public service, ensuring accountability among public officers.
