The Judiciary suspended virtual platforms in all courts on Thursday, November 17, citing delays in the license renewal.
Courts were thus urged to use alternatives, including Google Meet online platforms.
In a notice seen by Kenyans.co.ke, the Judiciary pledged to send the links to respective courts.
“The MS teams license renewal was expected to be activated by November 17, 2022. However, the process has been delayed.
“In view, therefore all courts are requested to use alternative links which have been generated by the Directorate of ICT and will be sent out by the respective courts,” read the notice.
A section of Kenyans had raised concerns that they could not access the courts via the virtual platform as before.
“We apologise for the inconvenience caused and thank you for your patience and understanding,” Judiciary acknowledged its fault.
City lawyers and court officials had also urged Chief Justice Martha Koome to swiftly address the issue.
“Just like power goes off in Kenya when it rains, the courts’ online team platform is down since the rains started pouring,” Senior Counsel Abdullahi Ahmednassir, stated.
“Today, all courts in Kenya aren’t working, allegedly because Judiciary hasn’t paid the subscription for its virtual platform. I hope our Chief Justice Martha Koome will fix the issue. A country without a working Judiciary is like a lake with no water,” another city lawyer added.
Former Chief Justice, David Maraga, launched the virtual courts in 2020 to fast-track cases.
The adoption of digital platforms also eased court operations after the Ministry of Health invoked the Public Health Act, restricting movements and physical interactions.
Source: kENYANS.CO.KE