Nairobi, April 24 -- Burial and matrimonial disputes will soon be automatically referred to mediation in a major shift aimed at easing family conflicts and reducing pressure on Kenya's courts.

This follows sweeping resolutions adopted at the 4th Annual Mediation Summit 2026, where stakeholders endorsed mandatory early screening of all family-related cases, with a strong push to prioritise amicable settlements over adversarial litigation.

Under the new framework, disputes involving custody, maintenance, matrimonial property, burial arrangements, and succession will be screened within 30 days of filing. Unless exempted by the courts, such cases will be referred to mediation.

"All family matters, including custody, maintenance, matrimonia...