The Kenya Magistrates and Judges Association (KMJA) was established in 1972 as a non-profit professional organization for judicial officers. It was originally registered as the Kenya Magistrates Association (KMA) with the primary goal of safeguarding the welfare of its members. At that time, all magistrates and Kadhis automatically became members upon employment
Over the years, the association’s mandate expanded to include capacity building for its members and engaging with stakeholders. This expansion and the affiliation with the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association led to judges joining the association. This prompted a change of name to the Kenya Magistrates and Judges Association (KMJA). Initially, only a small number of judges joined due to prevailing perceptions about the difference in their ranks. However, a concerted effort in 2007 led to a judge being elected as chairperson, which encouraged more judges to join. Today, KMJA includes members from the Court of Appeal, High Court, and all magistrates and Kadhis.
The association has survived difficult times since its inception and draws strength from the unique skills and commitment of its members. Before 2006, KMJA operated without a secretariat, and the secretary was the custodian of the association’s records. This was largely due to the inability to fund a secretariat from members’ subscriptions alone. In 2006, KMJA established a one-person secretariat and later leased office space with support from GTZ (now GiZ). This support enabled KMJA to run steady training programs and hire two additional staff members. The organization currently has a secretariat with seven permanent staff members and has an office in the new Milimani Courts Building.
KMJA has been a significant stakeholder in Kenya’s legal landscape16. It was a member of the Reference Group during the consultative process that led to the promulgation of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010. KMJA also has two representatives on the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and its members sit on key Judiciary policy organs. The association played a role in providing feedback on proposals from the Committee of Experts (CoE) and was the first body to organize elections under the Interim Independent Electoral Commission (IIEC).