Transforming Kenya; mirroring the Judiciary.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will-Romans 2:12

I am at the Judiciary Transformation Framework Workshop. I have been asked to indicate what I feel. Challenged, motivated, shocked and humbled to interact with people who have served this country for over 30 years in the judiciary. They say the former judiciary was intimidating, you could not express yourself, you could not state your issues, your needs, your aspirations. You just worked, like a robot might they add. They are amazed, pleased and thankful that they get to attend a workshop. A transformation workshop where they get to interact with the judges, with senior management. Better still, where the core rule is “no titles”. 30 years of titles, traded for three days of equality and no titles. Three sacred days of owning this great institution. To most of them, it’s priceless. To me, it’s humbling. Four months of serving this country in the judiciary, my mornings have purpose, my days direction, my interactions experience, my career satisfaction.

As I jot this, as people continue to introduce themselves, I wonder, should I be documenting this? Then almost instantly, I answer in the affirmative. Yes I need to let Kenyans know, the feelings the members of the judiciary have about the transformation process. A process introduced by the will of the Kenyan people through the Constitution of Kenya 2010. It seems the Constitution opened up a decade of “business unusual” in this great Republic. From the conduct of public officers, to respect for human rights, matrimonial property, elections and the electoral process, and many other spheres of our daily lives. The Judiciary probably has had the most illumination of the new Constitution, its aspirations, its values and principles and those of the Kenyan people. The Constitution has finally made the Judiciary a judiciary for Kenyans. The work of the judiciary is finally being owned by the persons, otherwise known by the Constitution as public officers. The enthusiasm and optimism guaranteeing the perfection of the Judiciary's core business, to administer justice for all Kenyans and to set, in the Honourable Chief Justice, Dr. Willy Mutunga's words, “patriotic and indigenous jurisprudence” 

The Judiciary Transformation Framework gives four key pillars to guide the process of Judicial Transformation.

  

Pillar 1-People focused delivery of Justice,

Pillar 2- Transformative leadership, Organisational culture and professional staff,

Pillar 3- Adequate finance resources and physical infrastructure and

Pillar 4- Harnessing technology as an enabler of justice.

Kenyans bear the pride of innovation. With mobile-banking possibly being the biggest money exchange media in Africa and quickly gaining international interests. Kenyans now pride themselves for having ratified a solid and concrete Constitution. As a result, they can now rest easy for Justice is in their courts. It has been said that “peace is not the absence of war, but the presence of Justice”. One of my greatest motivations in joining the judiciary was, one, to serve my Country, two, to work in the Judiciary and to draw from its professionalism but most importantly, to take pride in my future years in saying, “ I was part of it”, I was part of the transformation”.

Kenyans need only look to the judiciary to know what good leadership can bear. Results, impacts and delivery. There must be skeptics in every game of change. But there must be some shifts, pleasant and unpleasant. It is however the compromise that we must make. I have experience the shift. I have watched people dream and speak out their dreams for the Kenyan judiciary. I believe that Kenya is transformed in the eyes of the Judiciary. Its values reinforced. The constitution jealously guarded. Still we move.....we continue to become better.

The closing is phenomenal. A phenomenal lady speaks. She has worked in the Judiciary for 35 years. She has been through the regimes. She bears the transformation right from the depth of her heart. She challenges us. She says the judiciary is taking a phenomenal turn. I can feel her energy. In the hot Eastern sun, I realise the staff members are awake. Not just awake, AWAKE!..I shut my eyes, to internalise her wisdom. I scream from the depths of my bones, quietly, internally,...AWAKE KENYA...AWAKE!!..I think about a book I am reading, Greg Mill's “Why Africa is poor”, I nod, “Africa is poor because our leaders have made this choice”....It stings, but said it must, “Kenya refuses to transform because Kenyans have made this choice”. It all boils down to leadership.

I look forward to the cocktail. To end a wonderful collegial interaction and to chatter away as I gulp my glass of non-alcoholic wine. I know one thing, the employees in the Judiciary are different. They see things differently now. We dance to “Mkenya Daima” for the 3rd time. The sense of patriotism and public service sinks a little deeper. I know..this is an Institution I want to be associated with. This is my avenue to serve this great Republic.