Chief Justice (CJ) Martha Koome lamented insufficient funding for the judiciary two months after President William Ruto promised Ksh 2 billion in funding.
Speaking in Meru on February 27, Koome pleaded with Ruto to keep his promise to increase money for the judiciary, adding that the system was dealing with a backlog of cases and that some judges were being forced to work shifts.
“As a Court, we are at the base of a mountain that we are trying to climb. With the backing of everyone, including the President, who promised to do everything in his power to support the judiciary by providing us with the resources we need to improve our operations, she said.
The Chief Justice bemoaned the long-term neglect of the judiciary, with some judges working in appalling conditions.
She also criticized the sluggish construction of the Meru Court of Appeal and pleaded with her to participate in the endeavor.
“The infrastructure on Meru was constructed a very long time ago, most likely in the 1940s. We needed it immediately, so the contractor had best be there.
I can’t let my officers work in such ignominy to hear cases, she insisted, even if it meant donning overalls and showing up to monitor the construction.
A magistrate working out of a container bothered Koome during her visit, who felt it portrayed a poor picture of the county, which was rated sixth in terms of GDP contribution.
We prayed to God with the governor of Meru (Kawira Mwangaza), asking him to remove this spirit of poverty.
This poverty-based mentality is not what we desire. Why would the judiciary bring such a thing, and why would judicial officers sit in such a place? She felt guilty.
During his inauguration, Ruto pledged to provide financing for the judiciary so that it could build the essential infrastructure.
In order to boost the human resource complement to at least 80% of the permitted establishment, judges, judicial officers, and essential cadres of judicial staff will be recruited with the help of the additional money, according to Ruto.
To improve access to justice for all Kenyans, some of the monies would also be used to evaluate the terms and conditions of employment for the judicial staff and to establish and build courts in counties and sub-counties.
Ruto praised the judiciary for its commitment to upholding the law, in particular the Supreme Court’s decision on a presidential appeal that sought to overturn his victory in the August 9 elections in 2022.
