Those who saw Justice Gicheru click the mouse to become the first user of the website will certainly remember his promise that it marked the beginning of a process that would help the department remove a key obstacle to the efficient functioning of the justice system as it, among other things, gives the public a regular update of ongoings in courts.
This underpins the Judiciary’s commitment to embracing information technology for purposes of improving service delivery to the Kenyan people,” Justice Gicheru said.
This promise came amid rising concern the Judiciary was stifling economic growth through delays in the settlement of commercial disputes. It’s the same story in the events section where apparently the Judiciary has not held any events worth posting on its website since its launch on February 16.
But in what points to the fact that mere adoption of technology may not be a panacea of the massive efficiency problems in the public sector, Business Daily has discovered that launch of the website has done little to change the Judiciary’s approach to dissemination of information to the public.
Evidence that the launch of the website was a mere public relations exercise lies in the fact that it has never been updated.
Though it is supposed to carry regular updates of ongoings on in the Judiciary, the website indicates that February 20 is the last day that Justice Gicheru made a public statement on matters judicial. On that day, the Judiciary held an open day that brought judges and other officials in direct contact with the public at Nairobi’s Kenyatta International Conference Centre.
The section on ongoing projects still bears the message that was posted during the website launch — “the Judiciary is currently undertaking several projects. This information will be posted soon.” Besides, the website has failed to play one of the key roles that the Judiciary promised — to enable litigants check the case list on-line for better preparation for hearings.
For this service, the Judiciary website refers visitors to the privately run Kenya Law Reports (KLR) website. Mr Iraya James, the chief ICT officer at the Judiciary, attributed the inertia to the fact that it was placed in the custody of KLR and not court personnel. KLR is a corporate body established by the National Council for Law Reporting Act, 1994, to publish judgments, rulings and opinions of the High Court and Court of Appeal.
“These are the people in charge of the website and we cannot update it without their involvement,” said Mr Iraya. Critics have been quick to point to the fact that the website has failed to live up to promises made at its launch.
Ironically, the site devotes a large section to a progress report on the implementation of its strategic plan 2005—2008. The report is, however, made up of an analysis that Ms Lydia Achode, the chief court administrator, did in December last year.
Part of the analysis is that the Judiciary aspired to develop an ICT policy within the Strategic Plan and that its advisory committee had created the position of chief ICT officer to deal with ICT issues. All this efforts appear to have been in vain as the officer’s hands remain tied until the website reverts back to the Judiciary.
While the setting up of the website was supposed to herald the entry of the court into the electronic age, it has been a let down. Businesses cannot track down the progress of their cases in court through the Internet, a problem that creating the website tried to solve. As matter stand, businesses have to continue going through their lawyers or go physically to court to know the progress of their cases.
For a country with high ideals for the year 2030, our Judiciary is still clearly in the dark ages technologically.
Autor(en)/Author(s): Albert Muriuki
Quelle/Source: Business Daily Africa, 09.08.2007
