The Judiciary is seeking a budget allocation of at least Sh49 billion in the next financial year to ensure efficient deployment of officers, automation of its services and for infrastructure expansion.
Chief Registrar Winfrdah Mokaya on Monday told a public participation hearing in Nairobi that budget gaps continue to hinder its expansion programmes and suffocate its service delivery in the Judiciary.
Mokaya said, for instance, that there is a pressing need to decongest urban courts, particularly in Nairobi, which handles nearly a quarter of Kenya’s total caseload.
With a resident population of 5.4 million people and another 2.5 million daily commuters, Nairobi’s courts face heavy workloads, ranging from commercial disputes and traffic cases to family, children and constitutional matters.
To ease these pressures, Mokaya said the Judiciary has prioritised completion of new court buildings in Kasarani, Mihango, Huruma and continues to invest in specialised courts, including the Gender Justice, Anti-Corruption, Children’s and Small Claims Courts.
“The Judiciary has proposed a budget of Sh46 billion for the financial year 2026-27, equivalent to 0.7 per cent of the national budget. However, the indicative allocation of Sh29 billion leaves a shortfall of Sh17 billion,” Mokaya said.
She spoke during the conclusion of the Judiciary’s nationwide public budget hearings for the 2026-27 financial year at Jericho Hall in Makadara constituency, Nairobi.
She said there was urgent appeal for increased funding to strengthen justice delivery systems across the country.
Mokaya said public participation is not merely a constitutional requirement but a partnership between the people and the institution that exercise judicial authority on their behalf.
“Judicial authority is delegated by the people, and with that delegation comes an unqualified obligation to account for how resources entrusted to us are deployed. We therefore appear before you as stewards of a public trust ready to present our performance for the last financial year and the investment proposals for the year ahead,” she said.
Mokaya singled out security as a foundational pillar of judicial independence, warning that unsafe court environments hinder judges, staff, litigants, survivors of crime, children and the general public from fully engaging in justice processes.
She reaffirmed the Judiciary’s commitment to digital transformation through expansion of e-filing, digitised registries and the Case Tracking System (CTS).
Investments in alternative justice systems, mobile courts, and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) also remain top priorities.
“Our proposals are geared towards building a future-ready justice system,” Mokaya said, noting that improved funding would translate to faster case resolution, reduced backlogs, strengthened security and better protection for vulnerable users.
Finance Directors from the Judiciary and the Judicial Service Commission briefed the forum on key performance highlights and the proposed budget.
Deputy Chief Registrar Paul Ndemo, along with registrars and directors, were also present at the forum.
Other representatives included officers from the county commissioners office, the Nairobi county assembly, the Law Society of Kenya, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, National Police Service, Prisons Service, Probation, People with Disabilities, children from borstal institution and religious institutions shared views on enhancing access to justice.
The Judiciary had conducted similar public participation hearings in Lodwar, Ol Kalou, Migori and Chuka towns.
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