The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Charles Kanjama has welcomed the launch of five key policy reform documents by the National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ), describing the move as a major boost to the justice delivery system.
Speaking during the council’s 38th meeting held in Mombasa, Kanjama said the reforms would strengthen coordination among institutions mandated to administer justice across the country.
The NCAJ, established under the Judicial Service Act and chaired by the Chief Justice Martha Koome, brings together the Judiciary, police, constitutional commissions and the Law Society to address challenges facing the sector.
Among the five reform instruments launched were the Justice Sector ICT Policy and Action Plan 2026, Standard Operating Procedures on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), the People-Centred Justice Guidelines, the People-Centred Justice Study, and Standard Operating Procedures for Service Delivery Initiatives.
Kanjama singled out the ICT Policy and Action Plan as central to accelerating the digitization of court processes, saying embracing technology would bring justice services closer to ordinary Kenyans regardless of where they live.
“Technology allows us to reach the people wherever they are and bring justice services closer to them,” said Kanjama, noting that the Law Society had declared 2026 the Year of Legal Technology and Innovation.
He added that a separate policy addressing gender-based violence was also unveiled during the meeting.
The LSK President said that although coordination structures already existed among justice sector players, their implementation had at times been frustrated by court orders shielding some judicial officers from scrutiny by oversight bodies such as the Judicial Service Commission and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.
“Our position is simple: let every institution do its work without obstruction from others,” he said, calling for closer collaboration to safeguard and entrench the rule of law.
Election preparedness featured prominently in the discussions, with officials from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) in attendance.
Kanjama said the country was not yet fully ready for elections, citing lessons from the recent Ol Kalou by-election, where he said bribery, violence and hired goons undermined the electoral process.
“We are not yet prepared. The recent Ol Kalou by-election saw serious violations of electoral laws, and as the LSK, we want accountability for anyone who flagrantly breaks the law,” he said.
He linked election preparedness to next month’s LSK annual conference, which will dedicate a session to the theme, and urged legal professionals, police and electoral officials to strengthen coordination ahead of the 2027 polls.
On political tensions between rival camps, Kanjama said robust civic engagement was healthy under Article 38 of the Constitution, but warned against crossing into hate speech or violence.
He reaffirmed the Law Society’s commitment to monitoring ongoing reforms and highlighting gaps in the justice and electoral systems as they arise.
“Laws must be reviewed continuously. Wherever we spot a flaw, we fix it, so that all Kenyans are equipped for what lies ahead,” Kanjama said.
by Ramadhan Nassib and Vincent Kiptoo
