The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has unveiled a new taskforce aimed at confronting entrenched inefficiency and corruption in the country’s courts and land registries, a move hailed by Chief Justice Martha Koome as a timely and necessary intervention.
In a speech delivered on her behalf by Justice Eric Ogola, CJ Koome praised the initiative, noting it complements the Judiciary’s ongoing Social Transformation through Access to Justice (STAJ) programme. She emphasized that ethical and efficient registries are not just administrative requirements but central to restoring public trust in the justice system.
“There is no room for corruption in our registries,” said Koome. “Their effectiveness and integrity directly affect public confidence in Kenya’s justice and land governance system.”
Koome urged the public to refrain from offering bribes and instead demand quality service as a right. She also called for formal reporting of registry delays and misconduct through appropriate channels, not social media.
LSK President Faith Odhiambo declared the taskforce long overdue, saying it sends a bold message in the fight for accountability. “This is not just another committee. It is a clarion call to restore dignity and discipline in a broken system,” she stated, citing widespread complaints of lost files, broken digital systems, and unethical conduct.
Odhiambo was especially critical of the disconnect between digital promises and courtroom realities. “When you file online and the court tells you they can’t see it, whose problem is it?” she posed, warning that every delayed file and tampered record erodes citizen confidence in the legal system.
Justice Ogola highlighted deeper structural challenges, including underfunding and stalled digitization. “We cannot pretend we’re fully digital when we’re still working with physical files,” he said, revealing that the Judiciary received zero ICT funding this year. He also criticized regional imbalances, pointing out that while foreign lawyers operate freely in Kenya, Kenyan advocates face barriers abroad.
Senior Counsel Wilfred Nderitu, the taskforce’s alternate chair, emphasized that real reform must be evidence-based. He warned against prioritizing speed over quality in judicial decisions and pointed to the role of inefficient registries in fueling fraud and court backlogs, especially in land disputes.
“This taskforce must go beyond rhetoric. It must deliver real solutions,” Nderitu said. “Let us look back one day and say we made real progress, towards a more efficient, ethical system.”
The LSK Efficiency and Ethics Taskforce will produce monthly reports, consult with stakeholders, and audit both digital and manual systems to recommend practical reforms, signaling a renewed drive to clean up Kenya’s justice infrastructure.
Written By Rodney Mbua
