NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 15 – The Judiciary has achieved a 99 percent case clearance rate for matters filed during the 2023/2024 fiscal year, which ended on June 30.
A total of 509,664 cases were resolved out of the 516,121 new cases recorded.
The report, launched on Friday and titled “State of the Judiciary and Administration of Justice FY 2023/2024,” indicated that criminal cases accounted for 57 percent of the filings, reflecting a 3 percent decrease from the previous year.
The report highlighted improved efficiency in the courts, with a 14 per cent increase in resolved criminal cases and a 32 percent rise in civil case resolutions, leading to a reduction in the case backlog.
“However, pending cases rose by 1.2 per cent, from 625,643 to 649,310, particularly affecting the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, Magistrates’ Courts, and Small Claims Courts,” the report stated.
The report attributed the high clearance rate to the use of technology in enhancing access to justice and improving service delivery.
Additionally, the establishment and upgrading of various courts and tribunals nationwide contributed to the increase in the case clearance rate.
Additional High Courts
It further noted that five new High Court stations were established, bringing the total number of counties with a High Court to forty-six.
The report, however, recommended adequate funding to enable the judiciary to enhance access to justice, reduce case backlogs, and expand its infrastructure.
“From FY 2021/22 to FY 2023/24, the Judiciary faced a persistent funding shortfall, with gaps of 48, 47, and 48 percent, respectively, each year. It consistently received less than 1 percent of the National Government Budget, significantly below the recommended 3 percent, thereby limiting its operations,” the report stated.
The report revealed that the allocated budget of Sh22.4 billion was far below the required Sh43.1 billion.
While budget absorption improved to 96 percent, pending bills rose to Sh331.9 million for recurrent expenditures and Sh410 million for development.
The Judiciary’s revenue increased from Sh2.65 billion to Sh2.97 billion, attributed to improved case management and automation.
