Kenya Judiciary seeks Sh50.7 billion budget amid legal rulings

The Kenyan Judiciary has proposed a Sh50.7 billion budget for the 2027/28 financial year to address case backlogs and prepare for potential disputes arising from the 2027 General Election. Chief Registrar Winfridah Mokaya stated that the Judiciary requires Sh46.2 billion for recurrent expenditure and Sh4.5 billion for development. However, the current indicative budget ceiling of Sh30.4 billion leaves a financing gap of approximately Sh20.4 billion.

Separately, the Nairobi Employment and Labour Relations Court has issued a permanent injunction restraining the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) from proceeding with efforts to remove Judge Anthony Ombwayo from office. The court ruled that a letter seeking administrative action against the judge regarding an alleged conflict of interest in a land dispute did not constitute a valid petition for removal under Article 168 of the Constitution. The ruling prevents the JSC from forwarding the matter to the President for the formation of a tribunal.