The provision of legal information to, and needs of, the legal community in Kenya : a study of the Eldoret, Kisumu and Nairobi areas

The study investigates the provision of legal information to the legal community in three areas of Kenya, namely, Eldoret, Kisumu and Nairobi. It endeavours to ascertain whether the provision of information in the areas studied is adequate to meet the growing and varying needs of members of the legal community. Data was collected by use of semi-structured interviews and structured observation. Information was collected from members of the legal community in their capacity as users of information, and librarians in their official capacity as providers of information. The study examines the performance of legal information services in the context of user needs and current library and information service provision. It investigates the information needs and information seeking habits of the legal profession, and examines the problems experienced by users and providers of information. The research concludes that the provision of legal information is inadequate to meet the needs of the legal profession. The major causes of this situation are inadequate funding from government, and the negative attitude of decision makers in government ministries and organisations towards libraries. It is observed that if this situation is not addressed, it is likely to have a negative effect on legal development.