KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND GOVERNANCE FOR EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE IN KENYA: CASE OF MILIMANI LAW COURTS, NAIROBI
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Date
2023-08
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Tangaza University
Abstract
This study aimed at finding out how effective Knowledge Management (KM) and governance could ease administration of justice in the Kenyan Judiciary (KJ), specifically in Milimani Law Courts. Serious organizations regard knowledge as a strategic resource. However, they may strategies, procedures, and policies to guide the management of their institutional knowledge. The study was guided by four specific objectives. First, it was to examine the current KM practices at the Milimani law courts. Second, it was to evaluate the current organizational culture at the Milimani law courts. Third, the study was to investigate the current knowledge governance mechanism at the Milimani Law Courts, and fourth, to suggest new guidelines, practices, procedures and mechanisms that Milimani Law Courts could adopt for more effective and efficient KM and governance. The research site was at Milimani Law Courts, KJ. A sample size of 124 participants was drawn from a population of five judges, ten magistrates, four registrars, ten advocates/Lawyers/prosecutors, 15 heads of departments and 8 relevant judiciary staff. The researcher adopted purposive sampling technique. Interviews and semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect primary data. The questions comprised both open and closed ended ones. Secondary data was collected by reviewing empirical studies. Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS while qualitative data used Thematic Content Analysis (TCA). The researcher first transcribed qualitative data collected from interviews using Microsoft Word software. This was followed by grouping/ categorizing similar responses into themes. Resulting themes were analyzed and discussed by the researcher and the supervisors. This was done in an interactive process until an agreement was reached on the final themes. Analysis was done using descriptive statistics. For presentation, tables and charts were used. On the issue of current KM practices, we found out that knowledge is captured during seminars/ training as well as through publications. Data on Knowledge is stored using software while others are archived in the library. On sharing, main method is through seminars and some informal settings. The study showed that the organizational culture at Milimani Law Court did not effectively support employees to create, store, and share their knowledge. Furthermore, results indicate that Milimani Law Courts did not have proper policies or guidelines on KM and governance. The study also found out that Milimani Law Court did not have knowledge governance mechanisms to support the judiciary knowledge. To enforce the KM and governance policy, it was proposed that the Judiciary-Milimani Law Courts could have a full-fledged department on KM and governance to manage judicial knowledge such as those of experienced staff, and retired judges. The findings suggest that advocacy ought to be done on developing sound guidelines and policy frameworks on KM and governance at the Kenyan judiciary, a view fully supported by the researcher as an insider.