The United Nations has raised alarm over growing cyberattacks targeting Kenya’s Judiciary, warning that the trend threatens judicial independence.
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights revealed it is considering dispatching the Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers to Kenya for a fact-finding mission. The move aims to assess the scale of the threats and recommend strategies to protect judges and courts from online intimidation.
Chief Justice Martha Koome announced the planned UN intervention on Monday during the official opening of the 2025 Judges Colloquium, themed “Digital Transformation, Technology and Law, Tech Justice.”
She welcomed the move, saying the mission would help the Judiciary evaluate ongoing challenges while offering global perspectives on safeguarding judicial independence.
“Over the last one year, we have witnessed a worrying trend of increased cyberbullying, targeted harassment, and orchestrated online campaigns against judges and judicial officers,” CJ Koome said.
The CJ stressed that the hostile online environment was not ordinary criticism but deliberate efforts to discredit the Judiciary and weaken its moral authority. She cautioned that such attacks could create a chilling effect, where judges feel pressured to issue rulings aligned with political or commercial interests.
Koome also highlighted the human toll on judicial officers, who already manage heavy caseloads and emotionally charged disputes. She noted that the Judiciary is developing support structures for mental well-being, including the Judiciary Families Initiative, to strengthen resilience among officers.
“Judicial independence is not just freedom from external influence. It is the assurance that judges can perform their duties without fear of reprisals, whether political, physical, or digital,” she emphasized.
The Chief Justice urged Kenyans, the government, and international partners to join forces in tackling digital threats against judges, warning that public confidence in the Judiciary, and ultimately Kenya’s democracy, would be at stake if the trend continues unchecked.
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