CJ Koome Unveils Judiciary's Biggest Backlog Reduction in Years

For the first time in years, Judiciary has resolved more cases than it received, slashing its backlog by 27 per cent, a milestone Chief Justice Martha Koome says reflects reforms delivering faster, more accessible justice.

Launching the Performance Management and Measurement Understanding (PMMU) Evaluation Report for the 2024/2025 financial year at the Milimani Law Courts on Friday, the Chief Justice revealed that courts resolved 647,686 cases against 621,425 new filings, achieving a Case Clearance Rate of 104 per cent.

"In practical terms, the Judiciary resolved more cases than it received during the reporting period," Justice Koome said.

She further disclosed that the Judiciary reduced its case backlog by 27 per cent, from 272,678 cases to 244,267 cases, describing the achievement as evidence that reforms within the institution are yielding measurable results.

"These achievements demonstrate that deliberate reforms, effective leadership and sustained institutional commitment are producing measurable results. More importantly, they signify improved access to justice for citizens across the Republic," she said.

Despite the gains, the Judiciary's overall institutional performance dropped from 95.29 per cent in the previous financial year to 88.12 per cent, although it still retained a Good performance rating.

Justice Koome said the decline should not overshadow the institution's resilience.

"The results call for both confidence and reflection. Confidence because they demonstrate the Judiciary's resilience and sustained institutional performance despite increasing operational demands; reflection because excellence is never a destination but a continuous pursuit that requires innovation, adaptability and an unwavering commitment to improvement," she said.

The Chief Justice acknowledged that the Judiciary continues to grapple with increasing caseloads, inadequate infrastructure, staffing shortages and information technology constraints that affect service delivery in several court stations.

"These findings underscore an important reality: as public confidence in the Judiciary grows, so too does the demand for judicial services. This is an encouraging development... It also places upon us a corresponding responsibility to strengthen our capacity to meet these rising expectations," she said.

To sustain the gains, Justice Koome called for greater investment in modern court infrastructure, expansion of judicial capacity and accelerated digital transformation.

"The future of justice is increasingly digital. We must therefore accelerate the implementation of transformative initiatives, including the Integrated Case Management System, e-Filing, virtual court services, digital transcription, the intelligent use of data and other technology-enabled solutions," she said.

She also announced the introduction of the Chief Justice's Merit Award, a new recognition programme aimed at honouring judges, judicial officers and staff whose exceptional contributions are not adequately reflected through conventional performance metrics.

"Our objective is not only to celebrate excellence, but also to inspire a culture of innovation, dedication, and service that reinforces the Judiciary's enduring commitment to excellence in the administration of justice," Justice Koome said.