CJ Koome: Supreme Court beats backlog despite online attacks on judges

Supreme Court has cleared more cases than it received in the financial year 2024/2025, achieving a 103 per cent clearance rate, even as judges face rising cyberattacks, Chief Justice Martha Koome has said.

Speaking at the opening of the 2025 Judges’ Colloquium in Nairobi on Monday, August 18, Koome said the performance reflects steady progress under the Judiciary’s Social Transformation through Access to Justice (STAJ) blueprint.

The Court of Appeal improved to 76 per cent, the High Court rose to 118 per cent, the Employment and Labour Relations Court recorded 132 per cent, and the Environment and Land Court achieved 116 per cent, Koome noted.

She said the improvements show a Judiciary increasingly embracing efficiency and strong case management.

Judges have also reduced adjournment rates, with the Supreme Court maintaining less than one per cent, the Court of Appeal falling to 11 per cent, and the High Court dropping to four per cent.

Koome welcomed newly appointed judges, remembering Justice David Majanja and Justice Daniel Ogembo, who passed away since the last colloquium.

“Their untimely passing remains a great loss to the Judiciary family,” she observed.

The theme of the 2025 Judges’ Colloquium, ‘Digital Transformation, Technology and the Law’, addresses the  challenges and opportunities technology presents to courts.

Koome explained that judges must understand disputes arising from fintech, artificial intelligence, data privacy, biotechnology, and cybercrime while leveraging digital tools to enhance efficiency, transparency, and access to justice.

The Judiciary has introduced several digital initiatives, including e-filing, the Integrated Case Management System, an AI-supported National Transcription Centre, the Judiciary e-App, and the Kenya Judiciary Academy e-learning platform.

Koome noted that adopting these tools will improve the efficiency of justice delivery.

At the same time, she warned of a growing threat from social media campaigns targeting judges.

“This sustained onslaught is a calculated attempt to weaken the moral authority of the Judiciary and to intimidate judges into silence or bending the law,” she explained.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has expressed concern over the cyberattacks and may send a Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers for a fact-finding mission. Koome added that such external guidance would help fortify judicial resilience.

To support mental well-being, the Judiciary has launched the Families Initiative, creating 20 peer-support groups of ten judges each.

Judges are encouraged to check in on one another, share experiences, and provide mutual support, reinforcing a culture of collegiality and accountability.

Koome also highlighted progress on judicial welfare, noting that after decades of advocacy, the Judges’ Retirement Benefits Bill, 2025, approved by the Cabinet, is now before the National Assembly.

She urged continued engagement to ensure it is passed.

“The Judiciary continues to adapt to technological change while defending judicial independence and ensuring justice for all,” she noted.