CAK partners with Judiciary to connect courts with internet

The Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK) has partnered with the Judiciary to connect 200 courts across the country to the internet under a Sh200 million project funded by the Universal Fund.

The initiative aims to enhance service delivery and improve access to justice, particularly in sub-county and county courts facing poor connectivity.

CAK Director Mohammed Haji said the Authority will offer technical expertise to support the Judiciary in adopting artificial intelligence, bolstering the digital justice system for the benefit of court users.

“This collaboration will help unlock the use of digital signatures and their legal admissibility in contracts and other commercial agreements,” he said.

Haji added that the partnership will also strengthen video conferencing, electronic case management, and cybersecurity to protect judicial data.

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“Improved connectivity will accelerate the digital delivery of judicial services and ensure wider access to legal information for Kenyans,” he said.

Haji made the remarks during the three-day Magistrates and Kadhi Courts Colloquium at Sawela Lodge in Naivasha.

According to Supreme Court Judge Smokin Wanjala, the judiciary is committed to technological innovations to serve the cause of justice rather than undermining it.

Wanjala said judicial officers must navigate the complexities of digital evidence, protect data privacy, detect tech-related fraud, and deploy judicial automation platforms.

He added that judges and judicial officers must also be aware of the ethical implications of emerging technologies and show commitment to human rights, equity, and non-discrimination.

“Tech justice is ensuring that the law evolves alongside it to protect and promote justice and uphold the core values of fairness, transparency, accountability, and the rule of law,” he said.

Wanjala, who is also the Deputy Director of the Kenya Judicial Academy (KJA), said they are draughting the KJA Bill to anchor the Academy in law and provide for its administration.

The Academy, he said, will equip every judicial officer with the capacity, confidence, and critical thinking needed to respond decisively and ethically to technological change.

The registrar of Magistrates Courts, Caroline Kabuchu, urged judicial officers to critically examine digital evidence in court, applying scrutiny and expertise. She emphasised the importance of upholding professionalism and ethical standards to guard against technological overreach and compromise.