Jacqueline Ingutiah

05/09/2026

End-to-end automation at the Small Claims Court is here!

Colleagues,

Increased investment in the Judiciary’s ICT infrastructure, together with the approval of key ICT policies in 2025, has paved the way for this week’s nationwide rollout of end-to-end automation across Small Claims Courts.

The new system will improve efficiency, reduce delays and ensure the timely uploading of judgments and decrees, enabling members to access them promptly and conveniently.

The rollout is a significant step, among other ongoing efforts, towards modernising our justice system and making justice more efficient, accessible and responsive.

31/08/2026

My service to and engagement with members has been part of my journey at the Bar.

Just two years after admission, I was elected Secretary of the LSK Kisumu Chapter. Later, as Vice-Chair of the LSK West Kenya Branch, we championed member welfare, strengthened inter-branch engagement and created opportunities for advocates to connect.

At FIDA Kenya, we enrolled hundreds of advocates in the Pro Bono Lawyers Scheme and opened opportunities for training in strategic impact litigation, trial advocacy, ADR and advocacy.

At Advocates for International Development (A4ID), we trained advocates on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and connected Kenyan and UK lawyers through peer learning. I am proud that the partnerships we helped build with LSK and EALS continue today.

I have also served on the LSK ADR and EALS Business and Human Rights Committees and participated in the National Legal Aid Programme (now NLAS) and Court Annexed Mediation pilot projects. Service on a Public University Council further strengthened my experience in governance and institutional leadership.

At KNCHR, we support the training of advocates in public interest litigation, international crimes, self-care and other areas of practice.

Beyond formal office, through sponsorship I continue to support young advocates to access professional training, including Trial Advocacy and AI & the Law. I also engage in structured mentorship and continue sharing my knowledge and experience as an LSK CPD trainer.

For me, leadership is not about occupying an office.

It is about
up.
doors.
opportunities, &
a difference in the profession.

28/08/2026

From 2009 to 2015, I worked at FIDA Kenya, representing women in court, undertaking public interest litigation and advocating for changes in laws, policies and budgets.

That experience taught me that access to justice is about more about the law. It is also whether people can actually reach justice.

Sometimes, that meant stepping far outside my comfort zone. I had never travelled by boat and, candidly, I cannot swim. 😂 Yet there I was, travelling to Takawiri Island for a Court Users Committee public forum.

Engaging with island communities helped inform recommendations on access to justice and, through collaboration among justice-sector actors, contributed to the establishment of Mbita Law Courts.

The challenge was not only in remote communities. 38% of cases filed in Kenya are in Nairobi, yet court infrastructure has struggled to keep pace. Our engagement with Nairobi MPs on investment in justice services contributed to the completion of Dagoreti Law Courts.

Different communities. Different barriers. Same lesson:

Litigation can change lives. But lasting change also requires changing the laws, policies, budgets and institutions that shape those lives.

Sometimes you argue the case. Sometimes you advocate for the law. Sometimes you fight for the budget.

And sometimes, even when you cannot swim, you get on the boat. 😂

Justice must reach the people.

📸 Photo 1: Me on the boat to Takawiri Island. Behind the smile was fear! 😂

📸 Photo 2: Engagement with MPs from Nairobi County.

22/08/2026

In 2004, I worked in Lodwar, Turkana County.
Back then, there was no law firm in Lodwar. Court sittings were unpredictable, and accessing justice often meant travelling hundreds and often waiting years for a case to be concluded.

We ran legal aid clinics. I remember Senior Gerald Barongo travelling more than 200 kilometres from Kitale to Lodwar to represent clients pro bono. Senior more blessings your way

I had studied what the law promised. In Lodwar, I saw the distance between that promise and people’s lived reality.

That experience shaped how I see the law: justice cannot only exist on paper. It must be within reach.

I have returned to Lodwar several times, including in 2023, and the difference is visible. Today, there are advocates practising in town, a new court building is coming up, and a court was established in Kakuma (including a small claims court).

It is important to look back and appreciate how far we have come. And somewhere in these memories is a much younger me.

Photo 1: With LSK members in Lodwar, led by County Solicitor Ruth Emanikor.

Now, an important question: Can you spot me in the 1st and 2nd photos? 😂 One was taken in Kanamkemer and the other at Lake Turkana.

Blessings.

20/08/2026

Growing up in a large family taught me early how to share, negotiate, listen, stand my ground and find my voice in a crowded room. It also taught me that life is never just about you.

Those lessons have followed me todate. In a large family, you quickly learn that being the loudest does not always get you your way. You learn to listen, persuade, build consensus and know when to stand firm.

This photo was taken during community prayers before I left for university to study law. It moved from a family to a village event. I am a first-generation lawyer on both my paternal and maternal sides. At the time, there were only two advocates we knew, both from a generation far ahead of mine.

Today, I am proud that many more young people from my community have become advocates. As we jokingly say, “Throw a stone and you might just hit an advocate.” 😄 What was once unusual enough to bring a village together is now a path many others can walk.

What started as a family achievement, is now a community achievement, bigger and supportive. I am always thankful for my family, home community and new community of friends I have created over the years. I am because you are. 🩷

Can you spot me in the photo 😉?

15/08/2026

14/08/2026

14/08/2026

13/08/2026

Between sessions today, I took some time to catch up with colleagues, meet advocates from different parts of the country, and visit exhibition stands showcasing services and innovations for the profession.

I also had the chance to share some of achievements I have done and the progress made at the JSC. I value these moments because they create space for candid conversations about what is working, what needs to improve, and how we can continue strengthening our institutions to better serve the profession and the public.

These conversations matter as they keep us connected, grounded and accountable.

13/08/2026