The High Court will break for its annual August recess beginning August 1, 2026, with judges expected to resume normal sittings on September 15, according to a notice issued by Principal High Court Judge Eric Ogola.
In the notice published in the Kenya Gazette on June 19, Justice Ogola announced that the recess would run for 46 days, covering the period between August 1 and September 15, both dates inclusive.
“The August Recess of the High Court and Courts of Equal Status shall commence on August 1, 2026 and terminate on September 15, 2026, both days inclusive,” the notice stated.
Despite the break, the Judiciary has assured Kenyans that urgent matters will continue to be handled throughout the recess period to ensure uninterrupted access to justice.
To facilitate this, duty judges will be appointed across the country to hear urgent applications, petitions and other time-sensitive cases filed during the court break.
Under the arrangement, presiding judges at various High Court stations and divisions will designate duty judges to serve within their jurisdictions. Similar appointments will be made by the leadership of the Employment and Labour Relations Court as well as the Environment and Land Court.
Justice Ogola further directed that stations with only one judge will have their urgent matters handled at the nearest High Court station where a designated recess duty judge is sitting.
“In court stations with a single Judge, the matters emanating therefrom will be handled in the nearest High Court station where a Recess Duty Judge is sitting, which shall be indicated on the Station’s Notice Board by the Presiding Judge of such single Judge Station,” he said.
The Judiciary also announced that all 47 High Court stations and six sub-registries will remain operational during the recess. The registries will be open from 8am to 5pm on weekdays to receive urgent filings and provide court services.
These arrangements come during a time when a number of high-profile public interest cases are awaiting decision in the courts.
Some of these include a petition from the Consumer Federation of Kenya (COFEK), who is opposed to various revenue-generating provisions contained in the Finance Bill 2026.
COFEK has contended that certain taxes proposed will have adverse effects on disadvantaged traders and consumers, and also that there was not enough public consultation before these proposals were made.
High Court Judge David Mburu certified the matter as urgent and directed the government to file its responses before the case is mentioned on June 25, 2026.
The courts are also handling petitions touching on the implementation of the National Infrastructure Fund Act and government plans involving the divestiture of state assets.
In addition, consolidated cases seeking to stop the privatisation of strategic public entities, including the Kenya Pipeline Company, remain pending before the courts, with rulings expected between August and October this year.
The Judiciary’s recess arrangements are intended to give judges a scheduled break while ensuring that urgent legal matters continue to receive attention without interruption.
