CJ Koome Demands Bigger Budget Amid Digital Justice Revolution

Kenya’s Chief Justice Martha Koome has issued a resounding call for increased funding for the Judiciary, citing severe constraints that continue to hamper efficient service delivery. Addressing the Executive and Parliament during the launch of the E-Judiciary Mobile Application, the Judiciary Innovations Compendium, and the Performance Management and Measurement Evaluation (PMMU) Report 2023–2024, CJ Koome emphasized that underfunding has stalled critical judicial reforms, delaying justice and eroding public confidence.
Koome painted a stark picture of the Judiciary’s current state—shortages of judges, heavy caseloads, inadequate infrastructure, and glaring gaps in human and financial resources. Despite these challenges, the Judiciary has expanded its footprint, establishing five new High Court stations, three new Divisions of the Employment and Labour Relations Court, three Environment and Land Court stations, and 28 Small Claims Courts, bringing justice closer to Kenyans.

“The Judiciary has consistently raised concerns regarding underfunding and recurrent budget cuts that have hindered the full implementation of our core programmes,” CJ Koome stated.

Despite financial limitations, the Judiciary has intensified efforts to modernize service delivery. The Mahakama Popote initiative—an innovative virtual court system—has enabled judicial officers in less-burdened courts to assist colleagues in busier stations remotely, significantly cutting case backlogs. Court-Annexed Mediation (CAM) and Alternative Justice Systems (AJS) have also contributed to reducing pending cases from 268,116 to 244,267.

The newly launched E-Judiciary Mobile Application further exemplifies Kenya’s push toward digital justice, offering real-time case updates, court calendars, rulings, judgments, and other legal services at the touch of a button.

“With this app, court users across the country can now access judicial services right from their mobile phones,” Chief Registrar of the Judiciary Winfridah Mokaya remarked.

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