DIGITAL CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AND COURT OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY IN UASIN GISHU COUNTY

Abstract

Kenya's Judiciary has increasingly adopted digital technologies to improve court operations and enhance the management of judicial cases and records. However, despite this adoption, courts in Uasin Gishu County continue to experience case backlogs, delays, and records management challenges, raising concerns about the effectiveness of digital systems. This study therefore examined how Digital Case Management Systems (DCMS) enhance court operational efficiency in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design using a mixed-methods approach. The study conducted a census of court staff and used convenience sampling to select advocates, resulting in a total sample of 77 respondents. In addition, 12 key informants were purposively selected for interviews. The study collected data using questionnaires and interview guides. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive (frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations) and inferential statistics, while qualitative data were thematically analyzed. The findings showed that DCMS has a significant positive influence on court operational efficiency (β = .446, P < .05). In particular, DCMS improves case tracking, workflow coordination, records management, and monitoring of case progress, demonstrating the central role of effective digital case information management in court administration. However, the findings also revealed that DCMS has not yet reached its full potential, with system reliability, user access, technical support, staff training, and comprehensive records lifecycle functionality remaining key concerns. The study recommends that the Judiciary strengthen the functionality and reliability of DCMS across the complete lifecycle of court records, including registration, case tracking, storage, retrieval, appraisal, retention, and disposal; user-access arrangements should align with functional responsibilities, while the Judiciary’s ICT Directorate and Records Management Unit should coordinate ongoing training to enhance staff capacity and the effective use of existing system functionalities. Such efforts would enhance both operational efficiency and service delivery.