Chief Justice Martha Koome has described the current scrutiny against the judiciary as a ‘moment of reckoning and an opportunity for deep reflection and reform.’
Koome, calling for a renewed commitment to integrity, said that justice must never be compromised whilst urging improved case management to prevent unnecessary delays.
The CJ took issue with frequent and avoidable case adjournments, saying they erode public confidence in the judiciary.
“We have always said justice is not for sale, nor compromised for anything. For this reason, we are intensifying our focus on improving case management and ensuring court users are not subjected to delays or administrative inefficiency,” she said.
“Frequent adjournments not only delay justice but also fuel growing public frustration and weaken trust in our courts.”
She also criticised overloaded court cause lists, where up to 50 cases are scheduled in a single day, leading to long delays and, in many cases, hearings that never take place.
“As judiciary officers we must ensure that we only list a manageable number of cases each day guided by our capacity to hear and conclude them,” she said.
Additionally, she condemned scheduling hearings during judicial officers’ annual leave, calling the practice unacceptable.
“Leave must be planned in advance, with blocked days clearly marked on the court calendar. It is unacceptable for a court to set a hearing date when the presiding officer is away.”
Beyond case management, Koome further addressed corruption allegations within the judiciary, vowing a zero-tolerance policy.
“I once again want to state that the judiciary is a corruption-free zone, and we must implement this policy by deed and by word.”
She announced a shift from a complaints-based approach to an intelligence-driven model in tackling graft. The new strategy, in collaboration with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the National Intelligence Service (NIS), aims to proactively identify corruption hotspots and unethical individuals.
“Our goal is to protect the integrity of the judiciary and establish a culture where corruption is completely outlawed,”
At the weekend, former Cabinet Secretary Raphael Tuju accused Supreme Court judges of bias and irresponsibility in handling key cases, citing their language in the 2022 presidential petition ruling.
Several petitions have also been filed in court to remove the judges from office.
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