Chief Justice Martha Koome has outlined how Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms and out-of-court settlements have helped reduce the backlog of cases within Kenya’s judiciary.

Speaking during an interview aired on a local media station on Sunday, July 19, 2026, the Chief Justice said initiatives such as the Small Claims Court, court-annexed mediation, and the Alternative Justice Systems (AJS) have significantly improved access to justice while reducing the time taken to resolve disputes.

Koome explained that the Small Claims Court has been particularly beneficial to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), enabling them to recover debts quickly through a simplified process.

“The Small Claims Court is available. The turnaround period is 60 days, and they can go to court. It’s simplified. You just file your papers and your evidence, and you get your judgment and decree,” she said.

court-annexed mediation

The Chief Justice also hailed court-annexed mediation as a game-changer, saying it has resolved thousands of family disputes, particularly succession cases, while helping restore relationships that would otherwise have been damaged by lengthy court battles.

“We have helped thousands of families, especially in family disputes. We now refer succession cases for mediation because the biggest problem is that when people get into these disputes, they don’t talk to each other. Mediators help them communicate, and we have solved thousands of succession cases while restoring relationships and harmony in communities,” Koome stated.

Out-of-court Mediations

She added that mediation has also been effective in resolving land and boundary disputes as well as contractual disagreements, allowing parties to reach amicable settlements without prolonged litigation.

Koome further highlighted the success of the Alternative Justice Systems (AJS), where communities are trained to resolve disputes locally before they reach the courts, except in cases involving sexual and gender-based violence, which cannot be handled through mediation.

According to the Chief Justice, some parties even return to mediators after courts have issued judgements to negotiate practical ways of implementing court decrees, such as agreeing on instalment payments instead of resorting to auctioneers.

“They bring the decree to the mediators or take it to the Alternative Justice Systems, and they find an amicable solution. They agree on how payments will be made, greet each other, and resolve the matter peacefully. We are resolving very many cases that way,” she said.