The Judiciary has announced plans to clear over 5,000 cases that date back to more than five years ago, within a period of a month in an effort to reduce the backlog.

“The Judiciary has embarked on hearing and determining court cases that are older than five years in the court system in a move that will see over 5,000 cases cleared in a period of one month, countrywide,” the judiciary said in a statement.

The 5,187 cases, which are spread across the country,  range from civil, criminal, commercial, and judicial reviews and will be heard and determined in September 28 by judges stationed at the Milimani, Mombasa, Nyeri, Eldoret, Machakos, Embu, and Bungoma courts.

The cases have been listed before the Judges for hearings, dismissals and/or appropriate directions.

According to the Judiciary, the clearance of the court cases backlog is in line with the Chief Justice’s strategic blueprint, Sustaining Judiciary Transformation; a Service Delivery Agenda that undertakes to clear all cases that are older than five years from the court system before the end of 2018.

The CJ during the launch of the blueprint, promised that the Judiciary will utilize the ‘service weeks’ and the day-to-day hearing arrangements to clear case backlog in the courts.

The particulars of the cases and the cause will be listed at the relevant High Court Notice Boards, and online at the Judiciary, Kenya Law and the Law Society of Kenya websites.