‘African courts have become ‘commodified’ – Kenyan professor

A Research Professor of Development Studies astatine the Institute for Development Studies, University of Nairobi, Kenya, Prof. Karuti Kanyinga, has warned that courts crossed Africa person go “commodified”, saying judicial systems are progressively susceptible to bribery, governmental unit and enforcement interference.

Kanyinga said the erosion of judicial independency had made entree to justness disposable chiefly to the affluent and politically connected, a inclination helium described arsenic a large menace to ideology crossed the continent.

He spoke on Tuesday while delivering the keynote code astatine the 2026 Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Democracy Dialogue, held astatine the International Conference Centre, Bauchi.

The dialogue, hosted by erstwhile President Goodluck Jonathan and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, had the theme, “Beyond Elections: Can Political Parties and the Judiciary Save African Democracy?”

“The lone occupation with the judiciary and the courts successful peculiar is that the courts crossed the continent person go commodified,” Kanyinga said.

Quoting a fashionable saying from East Africa, helium added, “Why would you similar to prosecute a lawyer erstwhile you tin bargain a judge? Why would you similar to discarded your wealth by hiring an advocate, and yet you tin bargain a judge?”