Want to sue? Kisumu, Nakuru and Meru have fastest high courts
You are more likely to get justice faster if you file a civil matter in Kisumu High Court, which recorded the fastest clearance rate according to a performance review by Chief Justice Martha Koome.
Kisumu High Court, with a case clearance rate of 294 per cent emerged as the best performing court in the civil cases category.
Nakuru and Meru high courts also attained an impressive case clearance rate of 260 and 197 per cent respectively.
In the review, Kiambu High Court came out as slowest in delivering justice at 58 per cent clearance rate while Malindi reported 68 per cent performance in the conclusion of cases.
If you have been taken to court for a criminal offence, pray that the police arraign you in Nakuru where your matter is more likely to be dispensed in time.
Nakuru High Court reported the highest case clearance rate for criminal cases of 154 per cent.
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Mombasa and Machakos High Court achieved a case clearance rate of 134 per cent and 100 per cent respectively.
Criminal cases at Kiambu (35 per cent) and Malindi at 36 per cent were slowest to be dispensed, the survey revealed.
The CJ performance report is a good yardstick to help deal with chronic case delays and pile up that denies Kenyans justice while also dealing a body blow to the economy especially the nation’s attractiveness to investors.
Case backlog increased to 359,347 last year from 337,403 in 2019 as the courts scaled down operations amid Covid-19 pandemic.
The pandemic had led to increased adjournment of cases, absenteeism of litigants, scaling down of court business, rise in case backlog, reduced access to court services but increased uptake of technology,
Despite the increase, some courts continued to clear piled up cases with three High Courts reduced case backlog in the caseload category of above 600 cases.
Bungoma High Court was the best performing court with a case backlog reduction of 10.36 per cent. Nakuru and Malindi High Court cut their case backlog by 10.02 per cent and 7.26 per cent respectively.
