Law of Kenya

Kenya's legal system is a mixed system built primarily on the English common law introduced under British colonial rule, combined with African customary law and, for personal status matters among Muslims, Islamic law. The 2010 Constitution substantially reorganized the country's legal order, introducing devolved county governments, an expanded bill of rights, and a restructured judiciary headed by the Supreme Court, with the Court of Appeal and the High Court beneath it. Customary law continues to govern many matters of marriage, inheritance and land tenure in rural communities and is applied by the courts alongside statutory law where it is not judged repugnant to justice and morality, a standard carried over from colonial era legal doctrine. Kadhi's Courts, recognized under the constitution, apply Islamic law to matters of personal status, marriage, divorce and inheritance for parties who profess the Muslim faith and submit to that jurisdiction.