Chief Justice Martha Koome has said no case in the magistrates' or Kadhis' courts should take more than three years.
Koome advised the courts to embrace 'a no adjournment policy' once a matter had been set for hearing.
She attributed case backlog and delayed justice to perennial adjournment over petty issues.
"I urge courts to move towards limiting the time taken in interlocutory applications and nudge parties towards moving directly to the hearing of suits on their merits," she said.
Koome noted that the Judiciary should prioritise old cases, adding that over three-year-old cases should be listed for mention before judicial officers for parties to take directions.
The CJ was speaking in Sawela Lodge in Naivasha during the second Annual Magistrates and Kadhis Colloquium.
She lauded the role played by the Magistrates' and Kadhis' Courts, noting that they handled over 85 percent of the judiciary backlog.
She promised to continuously engage the Judicial Service Commission so that the number of magistrates and Kadhis is increased to an optimal staffing level commensurate with the increasing workload
"If we get it right regarding service delivery at these courts, then we will resolve the problem of backlog, improve litigants' customer experience and facilitate access to justice," she said.
Koome added that the Judiciary through the 'Social Transformation through Access to Justice' vision was keen to open the doors of justice for all.
The CJ said the Judiciary was focused on removing formal, informal and systemic barriers to access to justice which had remained a challenge for long.
She admitted that despite the ongoing institutional reforms, the Judiciary continued to face challenges related to access and responsive justice, case backlog and accountability. "We will strive to remove barriers to access to justice."
The Deputy Ambassador to the EU in Kenya Katrin Hagemann said the second phase of the Programme for Legal Empowerment and Aid Delivery (PLEAD II) will start next month.
