Kenyan courts hear first cases via video

Judges have taken a leap into the digital age by hearing their first cases via video link.

The Court of Appeal used video conferencing in three cases where the bench was sitting in Nairobi while the respective lawyers were in Mombasa. Many Kenyans have lost confidence in the legal system, which they say is prone to corruption and leaves many suspects on remand for years waiting for their cases to come up.

Launching the project at Nairobi High Court, Chief Justice Evan Gicheru said new technology would speed up the delivery of justice. "The faster we get justice done, the more we improve public confidence in the justice system as a whole," he added.