Kenol: Kenol Law Courts in Murang’a have achieved an 89 percent case clearance rate, ranking among the best-performing courts in the country in the delivery of justice, having only been established less than five years ago. Resident Magistrate Jackinda Renna said since the court was operationalized on November 12, 2022, it has handled a total of 13,602 cases, with 12,086 cases successfully finalized and closed.
According to Kenya News Agency, the Court has 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 16 cases are still pending. Thirteen cases have collapsed and were referred back to court for determination, while as AJS, the panel also received 97 criminal cases, eight succession cases, and one environment and land case.
The court introduced court-annexed mediation in November 2022 to facilitate faster resolution of disputes. The Resident Magistrate reported that 121 cases have been filed for mediation, out of which 65 files reached full agreement and were successfully concluded. At the mediation registry, there are currently six pending files, while 25 files have reached partial agreements as of September 10, 2026. Thirty-five files were returned to court, while five files recorded non-compliance, bringing the mediation case clearance rate to 78 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 35 sexual offence cases and 124 criminal cases. This year, the Court has recorded six sexual offence cases, nine criminal cases, and one inquest. The Ithanga Mobile Court currently has 114 pending cases, with 46 cases already finalized, translating to a case clearance rate of 28.75 percent.
Furthermore, the Court operationalized a small claims court this year, and as of September 10, it had filed a total of 36 cases, with 27 already closed, recording nine pending cases, thus translating into a 75 percent case clearance rate. Renna 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 the Magistrate-in-charge of the Mahakama Popote mobile court programme.
