NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 23 – Senior Counsel Evans Ondieki has launched a book titled “Artificial Intelligence and the Judiciary”, aimed at helping both practicing advocates and ordinary litigants navigate Kenya’s justice system more efficiently.
The launch, held at Radix Hotel in Karen, brought together legal luminaries including Supreme Court Judge Isaack Lenaola and Professor Migai Aketch, among others.
Ondieki said the book addresses one of the biggest challenges in Kenya’s justice system: delays and high legal costs. Many cases, he noted, have been pending for five to fifteen years, making justice inaccessible to ordinary Kenyans.
“Justice delayed is justice denied,” Ondieki said, emphasizing that while most Kenyan lawyers are skilled and learned, high fees prevent many citizens from pursuing their cases to completion.
He highlighted the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in bridging this gap. If applied responsibly and ethically, AI can help lawyers work faster and more efficiently, assisting in legal research, document review, drafting pleadings, and tracking case timelines—tasks that could take days or weeks can now be done in minutes.
AI, Ondieki explained, can reduce costs and improve access to justice, especially in areas such as civil, commercial, family, environmental, land, and criminal law.
“I have met people who walk into a lawyer’s office full of hope, only to walk out defeated after hearing the fees. Many never return, while others abandon their cases halfway,” he said.
He added that the book also explores how AI can collaborate with the judiciary to reduce case backlogs and ensure litigants receive timely justice.
Ondieki stressed that technology and innovation are essential for creating a more accessible and efficient legal system in Kenya.
