Significant achievements have been made in digitally transforming the justice sectors of Kenya and Rwanda, including streamlining processes in managing and filing cases and enhancing transparency in justice systems and cost-effectiveness in delivering and accessing legal services. However, vulnerable groups still encounter considerable barriers when using ICT in accessing justice services. More research is needed to explore these last-mile challenges and the role that ICT can play in bridging access to essential legal services.

Access to Justice ICT Tools: The movement restrictions that were imposed by the Kenyan and Rwandan governments during COVID-19 increased the need to use digital platforms to continue service delivery even while maintaining physical distance between citizens. Even beyond the pandemic, there was a need to accelerate the digitization of the handling of cases and the use of audio and video communications between court users and professionals in the justice sector.

The study revealed that many respondents in both countries still use simple feature mobile phones to access legal aid through legal aid toll-free helplines and e-payment systems (mobile money). Other respondents reported using smartphones and computers to attend virtual court sessions, report incidents and receive legal information. Some legal aid actors still use basic, outdated  personal smartphones and computers to administer justice using the Electronic Case Management System (ECMS), Electronic Filing (e-filing) System, Case Tracking System (CTS). 

Familiarity with Courts’ ICT Requirements and Procedures: Most vulnerable citizens in Kenya and Rwanda still find it hard to access justice services online because they lack the skills and knowledge to use the digitized justice systems by themselves and are mostly reliant on legal aid providers such as advocates and paralegals. 

People in the rural areas were unaware and were surprised at the existence of digital tools used in the Kenyan justice system and expressed the need to be educated on them. Those who were aware of the digitized justice processes, for example the virtual courts, appreciated the convenience the virtual courts offered but they mentioned that they were not familiarized with the system and most everything was new to them.

Satisfaction with ICT in Delivery and Access to Legal Services: Many respondents expressed satisfaction with digitized justice services due to its efficiency, ease of use,  reduced cost in accessing justice and speediness of the processes. However, there is still unawareness of the ICT-based interventions in the justice space. The notable gap in institutional preparedness in the use of ICT was a factor reducing satisfaction levels, for instance, while the courts have the ICT infrastructures, the prisons and the police stations who on the side are expected to produce the accused in court virtually have very poor infrastructure.

Capacity to Deliver Justice Services Using ICT Platforms: Most justice actors reported issues with limited capacity to deliver services using ICT tools. Police stations and prisons for instance, did not have ICT departments to support the use of ICT in linking the courts to these institutions during the court proceedings. Concerns were also raised regarding power outages and lack of communication and training on the available ICT platforms

Challenges faced in using ICT during COVID-19: While ICT introduces new opportunities for improving citizens’ access to justice, respondents also highlighted some challenges to ICT-related services which included: 

• Frequent power outages, limited electrical power supply, poor internet and network connectivity in some regions. 
• Technical difficulties with ICT-based platforms, such as audio problems and language barriers, limited access to smartphones or computers and digital illiteracy 
• High set up costs and sustaining the use of certain ICT platforms including limited access to smartphones or computers
• Data Privacy Concerns