Factors Affecting Service Delivery in the Judicial System in Kenya: A Case of Makadara Law courts

Quality of service delivery in the judicial system, need to move to the forefront of the justice dispensation. This study is therefore a survey of factors that affect service delivery in the Kenyan judicial system, Makadara Law Courts in particular. The objectives of the study were to determine the influence of information technology on service delivery at Makadara Law Courts; to establish influence of bulkiness of the pending cases on service delivery at Makadara Law Courts; to determine how conciliation of parties in dispute influence service delivery at the Makadara Law Courts; to establish the influence of collaboration between government agencies and judicial officers on service delivery at Makadara Law Courts. The study relied on previous related studies by other scholars and researchers to determine what has been done in this area and also to identify gaps in those studies. The population of the study consisted of Magistrates, Police Investigators, Prosecutors, Court Clerks, Court Orderlies and Prison Officers. Stratified random sampling was used to sample the population. From each stratum, 20 % of the respondents formed the sample size of 80 respondents. However, the actual number of respondent who returned the filled questionnaires was 37 persons which is equivalent to 43 % response. Data collection instruments used included questionnaires and document analysis. Data was analyzed qualitatively using descriptive methods and quantitatively using pie charts, tables, graphs, frequencies and percentages. Data was analyzed based on the research questions of the studies. The key findings of the study revealed that lack of adequate sufficiently trained staffs, insufficient IT system and poor relationship among the key stakeholders as the main factors ailing service delivery at the MLC. The study recommended that there should be full IT integration, reconciliation unit strengthened; collaborative meetings amongst the key players of judicial service delivery and in addition developing tool for measuring judicial performance. In conclusion reconciliation and other alternative dispute resolution methods have been encouraged and so desired results have been achieved including withdrawal of many cases from court as well as durable but private resolution to conflicts being found. Integration of IT infrastructure in the court system is also taking root. The personnel to facilitate proper integration and use of IT in court system remain an area of great concern. In terms of working relations, it can be deduced that there is seemingly good working relationship between the three key agencies, the judiciary, police and prison.