Customary Law and Local Courts (Amendment) Rules, 2025
Community and primary court fees are reset: US$20 to start a case or execute a judgment, US$10 to note an appeal — with US$10 of each court fee going to the presiding officer and US$4 to each assessor.
These rules replace the Second and Third Schedules to the Customary Law and Local Courts Rules, 1991, and repeal the 2019 amendment rules that last set the fees.
The new fees are US$20 to commence a case, whether or not a summons is issued; US$10 to note an appeal from a local court judgment; US$20 for execution of a judgment; US$10 for an attempted execution; and US$10 for removal and storage of goods.
The Third Schedule sets out how the court fee is shared. Of the fee paid on commencement, US$10 goes to the person presiding over the local court, US$4 to each assessor, and US$2 to the Messenger of Court where a summons is served.
Appeal fees follow the court hearing them: a fee for noting an appeal from a Community Court to the Magistrates Court is paid into the Revenue Account at that Magistrates Court, while a fee for noting an appeal from a Primary Court to the Community Court is shared as the commencement fee is.
Execution, attempted execution and storage fees are paid to the Messenger of Court by the successful party, who recovers them from the losing party where costs were awarded. All fees may be paid at the prevailing interbank rate.
What changed
- Commencement of a case costs US$20, with or without a summons
- Noting an appeal costs US$10; execution of judgment US$20 and an attempted execution US$10
- The commencement fee is shared: US$10 to the presiding officer, US$4 to each assessor, US$2 to the Messenger for service
- Execution and storage fees are paid to the Messenger by the successful party and recovered from the loser where costs are awarded
- The 2019 fee rules (S.I. 194 of 2019) are repealed and fees may be paid at the interbank rate
Who this affects
- Litigants in primary and community (chiefs' and headmen's) courts
- Presiding officers and assessors, who share the fee
- Messengers of Court
- Anyone appealing a local court judgment
Plain-language summary — not legal advice. Always read the full instrument.