CJ Koome Defends Integration Of Registry Services At Huduma Centers
Written by Bessy Awuor on March 8, 2024
Chief Justice Martha Koome has reaffirmed her support for and emphasized the importance of establishing judiciary desks at Huduma Centres.
The inclusion of judicial services in Huduma Centres has been a contentious issue among legal professionals, with the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) expressing their reservations.
While assuring that the registry services provided at the centers will meet high standards, CJ Koome stressed that the centers will significantly enhance access to justice for Kenyans.
“The assisted filling desks are purely registry services. They will be manned by the Judiciary’s registry staff who are under firm instruction to restrict their duties to assist self-represented litigants to upload their pleadings on the e-filling portal,” she said.
LSK had raised concerns regarding the potential for unauthorized individuals to provide legal services and expressed reservations about judicial independence and concerns over the separation of powers.
CJ Koome however reassured that measures would be implemented to “secure the integrity of the profession,” noting that the registry services are not the primary judicial responsibility.
“Judicial officers and Judges will not be based at the huduma centers,” she said.
While the initiative is presently in a pilot phase, with desks being set up in specific huduma centers nationwide, CJ Koome welcomed constructive and consultative engagement aimed at “strengthening the operational protocols.”
“We are willing to listen to any suggestions/proposals on how to strengthen the operating protocols to ensure masqueraders do not exploit these assisted filling desks,” she said.
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Registry services provided at Huduma Centres encompass a range of functions, such as filing civil matters, submitting documents for ongoing cases, requesting and receiving mention dates, addressing general inquiries, and accessing rulings and court orders.
Additionally, services include e-filing support and facilitating payments for fines, deposits, and cash bail.
