Kenya’s Judiciary has blamed external network interference for the prolonged failure of its eFiling system, which left lawyers and litigants in limbo for days and drew sharp criticism online.

The outage, which began on 10 July, paralysed digital access to court services and prompted speculation that the Judiciary’s servers may have been compromised.

In a statement issued late Monday, the Judiciary acknowledged the interruptions, citing “external interference that temporarily compromised network services.”

“Like many digital platforms globally, our systems are occasionally susceptible to technical disruptions,” the statement read.

Partial Recovery, But No Full Fix Yet

After intermittent outages for nearly a week, the Judiciary reported partial restoration on Sunday, 13 July. But the brief reprieve was followed by yet another disruption, renewing frustration among court users.

“We understand the inconvenience this has caused,” the Judiciary said. “Our technical team is actively addressing the issue and working to restore full functionality.”

Temporary Workarounds for Litigants

To keep the legal process moving, the Judiciary has turned to offline solutions. Those filing urgent or time-sensitive documents were asked to submit physical copies to the nearest court station. An email option was also provided — registrarautomation@court.go.ke — to allow parallel digital filings.

The Judiciary also confirmed that its Cause List portal — which lists daily court schedules — was now fully operational.

Mounting Public Scrutiny

The disruption prompted growing backlash on social media, where users accused the Judiciary of poor digital planning and slow crisis response.

It’s the second major public institution in a week to face questions about online system downtime. Just days earlier, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) had to clarify that its voter verification portal was undergoing scheduled maintenance — not shut down intentionally.

The Judiciary has promised transparency and urged patience.

“We are committed to delivering uninterrupted justice,” it said, noting that investigations into the cause of the interference were ongoing.

As Kenya becomes increasingly reliant on digital systems for key services, this latest disruption has stirred a broader debate on the resilience and security of public digital infrastructure — especially in institutions where trust is already fragile.