Chief Justice Martha Koome has launched five major justice-sector reform instruments aimed at improving coordination among institutions, enhancing service delivery and making Kenya’s justice system more accessible, efficient and responsive to the needs of citizens.
The reforms were unveiled during the 38th meeting of the National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ), where leaders from institutions across the justice sector gathered to discuss key policy and operational reforms.
Speaking during the meeting, Koome said the NCAJ continues to play a critical role in bringing together institutions with different constitutional and statutory mandates to strengthen collaboration in the administration of justice.
She noted that while the public interacts with different institutions such as the police, the prosecution, the Judiciary, probation services and correctional facilities, they experience them as one justice system. For that reason, she said, the effectiveness of each institution directly affects public confidence in the entire justice chain.
According to Koome, “The justice system is felt by citizens not as individual institutions, but as an interlinked chain of justice,” meaning that any weakness in the individual institution leads to a lack of confidence in the entire justice system.
One of the important reform programs implemented includes the Justice Sector ICT Policy and Action Plan, aiming at promoting the speed of digitalization in the justice sector institutions through collaboration, secure information sharing, and effective decision-making using data. The policy is also anticipated to assist in creating a paperless and efficient justice system.
Lastly, the Chief Justice launched the Standard Operating Procedures on Sexual and Gender Based Violence, aimed at enhancing coordination and survivor-centered approaches while minimizing gaps that lead to victimization of the survivors during the justice process.
In addition, the Judiciary unveiled the People-Centred Justice Guidelines and the accompanying People-Centred Justice Study, which encourage institutions to evaluate justice not only by the number of cases resolved but also by whether justice is affordable, understandable, accessible and responsive to the needs of ordinary Kenyans.
Also introduced were the Standard Operating Procedures for Effective Service Delivery Initiatives, aimed at improving the planning and coordination of justice sector outreach programmes to ensure communities receive sustained and integrated services.
Koome described the five instruments as more than policy documents, saying they represent what institutions can achieve by working together towards a common constitutional responsibility.
Over the next two days, members of the NCAJ are expected to deliberate on several pressing issues affecting the justice sector, including responses to sexual and gender-based violence and femicide, instant traffic fines, wildlife crime, child-friendly justice, legal aid, identification parade procedures, open prisons, recovery treatment courts and preparations for the 2027 General Election.
The Chief Justice called for continued collaboration among justice institutions, maintaining that institutional independence and inter-agency cooperation are complementary rather than conflicting principles.
She said the ultimate measure of the ongoing reforms will be whether Kenyans experience a justice system that is fair, dignified, efficient and responsive regardless of their background or circumstances.
“Our responsibility is to ensure that the justice chain works as one, while every institution remains faithful to its constitutional mandate,” Koome said.
She expressed confidence that continued cooperation through the NCAJ will strengthen public confidence in the rule of law and deepen access to justice across the country.
