A Research Professor of Development Studies at the Institute for Development Studies, University of Nairobi, Kenya, Prof. Karuti Kanyinga, has warned that courts across Africa have become “commodified”, saying judicial systems are increasingly vulnerable to bribery, political pressure and executive interference.
Kanyinga said the erosion of judicial independence had made access to justice available mainly to the wealthy and politically connected, a trend he described as a major threat to democracy across the continent.
He spoke on Tuesday while delivering the keynote address at the 2026 Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Democracy Dialogue, held at the International Conference Centre, Bauchi.
The dialogue, hosted by former President Goodluck Jonathan and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, had the theme, “Beyond Elections: Can Political Parties and the Judiciary Save African Democracy?”
“The only problem with the judiciary and the courts in particular is that the courts across the continent have become commodified,” Kanyinga said.
Quoting a popular
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