Kenol Law Courts have achieved an 88 percent case clearance rate, ranking among the best performing courts in the country in the delivery of justice.
Senior Resident Magistrate Dr Sheila Nyagah said since the court was operationalized on November 12, 2022, it has handled a total of 12,243 cases, with 10,724 cases successfully finalized and closed.
“As of March 12, 2026, the court had handled a total of 12,243 cases, of which 10,724 have been finalized and files closed, while the pending caseload currently stands at 1,519 cases,” she said during a Court Users Committee (CUC) meeting held at the Kenol Law Courts.
Dr Nyagah reiterated that the court had embraced the Multi-Door Policy under the Alternative Justice System (AJS) as part of efforts to enhance dispute resolution and reduce case backlog.
The AJS model, introduced in April 2024, has so far seen 106 matters referred to the panel, with 77 cases successfully resolved, while 17 cases are still pending.
“Thirteen cases collapsed and were referred back to court for determination,” she added.
The court also introduced court-annexed mediation in November 2022 to facilitate faster resolution of disputes.
The SRM said 95 cases have been referred for mediation, out of which 53 cases reached full agreement and were successfully concluded.
“At the mediation registry, there are currently six pending matters, while 21 files reached partial agreements as at March 12, 2026,” she said.
She added that 27 cases were returned to court, while five cases recorded non-compliance, bringing the mediation case clearance rate to 50.35 percent.
The court has also expanded access to justice through the establishment of a mobile court in Ithanga Sub-County, which was operationalized on September 1, 2025 and holds six sittings per quarter.
“In 2025, the Ithanga mobile court handled 29 sexual offence cases and 115 criminal cases. So far in 2026, the court has recorded one sexual offence case and two criminal cases,” Nyagah said.
The Ithanga mobile court currently has 131 pending cases, with 16 cases already finalized, translating to a case clearance rate of 10.9 percent.
Meanwhile, the Small Claims Court for Kenol Law Courts has been gazetted and is awaiting operationalization.
Dr Nyagah said the court, established under the Small Claims Court Act, 2016, will help ease access to justice by handling civil and commercial disputes valued at up to Sh1 million through a simplified and cost-effective process.
“Kenol town is a rapidly expanding business hub, and the establishment of a Small Claims Court will enhance the speedy resolution of commercial disputes,” she said.
Nyagah also lauded members of the Alternative Justice System panel, including elders, chiefs, sub-chiefs, the Deputy County Commissioner’s offices in Murang’a South and Ithanga, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) and lawyers for their role in facilitating dispute resolution outside the formal court system.
Kenol Law Courts serve Ithanga and Murang’a South sub-counties and currently have three resident magistrates, in addition to an officer in charge of the Mahakama Popote mobile court programme.
By Florence Kinyua
