Erastus Munywoki Mutua, Kenneth Ochieng Oricho, Alexander Wambua John, Allan Otieno Owino, William Kalume Kithi, Rajab Sirya Ngala, Rama Ndurya Mazera, Titus Muthusi Mutuku, Pinto Salim Khamis, Richard Musyoki Kilonzo, Stephen Onyango Oduor, Simon Mwatela Mwahee, Samuel Odhiambo, Shadrack Musyoka Mwangangi, Goeorge Kazee Onunga, Saidi Mae Kahindi, Victor Onyango Otieno, Benson Kilonzo Muthui, Alphonse Odhiambo Nyandiko, Alexander Shifwoko Mate, Abdalla Kassim Abdalla, Joachim Mutua Mbila, Joel David Mutua, Domnic Kaiyongi Albeert, Festus Nyamai Katii, Sammy Kimanzi Multya, Patrick Mukala Kimwele Joseph Pawa Manthi, Andrew Wanyonyi Simiyu, Gilbert Tokey, Peter Musau Mulwa, Domnic Rotich, Protus Sitati Luambila, Philip Bably Aleke, Mathew Charo Katana, Jared Onkundi Asiago, Edward Mabishi Mombo, David Odoyo Otiato, Christopher Kiprotich, Elijah Odhiambo Donge, Martin Kinyamasyo Mulatya, Musyoki Nzilu, Mutinda Ikuthu, Sylvester Mutua Mwanzia, Jonathan Mbai Shenga, Rama [2018] KEELRC 2530 (KLR)

REPUBLIC OF KENYA

IN THE EMPLOYMENT AND LABOUR RELATIONS COURT

AT MOMBASA

CAUSE NO. 660 OF 2017

BETWEEN

1. ERASTUS MUNYWOKI MUTUA

2. KENNETH OCHIENG ORICHO

3. ALEXANDER WAMBUA JOHN

4. ALLAN OTIENO OWINO

5. WILLIAM KALUME KITHI

6. RAJAB SIRYA NGALA

7. RAMA NDURYA MAZERA

8. TITUS MUTHUSI MUTUKU

9. PINTO SALIM KHAMIS

10. RICHARD MUSYOKI KILONZO

11. STEPHEN ONYANGO ODUOR

12. SIMON MWATELA MWAHEE

13. SAMUEL ODHIAMBO

14. SHADRACK MUSYOKA MWANGANGI

15. GOEORGE KAZEE ONUNGA

16. SAIDI MAE KAHINDI

17. VICTOR ONYANGO OTIENO

18. BENSON KILONZO MUTHUI

19. ALPHONSE ODHIAMBO NYANDIKO

20. ALEXANDER SHIFWOKO MATE

21. ABDALLA KASSIM ABDALLA

22. JOACHIM MUTUA MBILA

23. JOEL DAVID MUTUA

24. DOMNIC KAIYONGI ALBEERT

25. FESTUS NYAMAI KATII

26. SAMMY KIMANZI MULTYA

27. PATRICK MUKALA KIMWELE

28. JOSEPH PAWA MANTHI

29.  ANDREW WANYONYI SIMIYU

30. GILBERT TOKEY

31.  PETER MUSAU MULWA

32.  DOMNIC ROTICH

33. PROTUS SITATI LUAMBILA

34. PHILIP BABLY ALEKE

35. MATHEW CHARO KATANA

36. JARED ONKUNDI ASIAGO

37. EDWARD MABISHI MOMBO

38. DAVID ODOYO OTIATO

39. CHRISTOPHER KIPROTICH

40. ELIJAH ODHIAMBO DONGE

41.  CHRISPIN KATANI MWASHIGADI

42.  MARTIN KINYAMASYO MULATYA

43. MUSYOKI NZILU

44.  MUTINDA IKUTHU

45.  SYLVESTER MUTUA MWANZIA

46. JONATHAN MBAI SHENGA

47. RAMADHAN JUMA DZUYA

48. JOTHAM KUSIENYA

48. COLLINS KAPTUM CHEBOR

49. JUSTUS KYALO MWENDWA

50. CHRISPIN SAIDI MGHANGA

51. CHRISPIN OKOTH JUMA

52.  CHRISPINE NYONYI MUNA

53. SAMSON MULE MUTHAMA

54. OROTI NYABARO DAVID

55.  DIXON MTUNGU MWANGEJE

56. BENARD CHERUITYOT

57.  IVITA MUSAU

58. ZABLON AKUMA BUNDI

59.  ANDERSON LUKAS MUTUA

60.  MWACHIRO HARO KAI

61. DEXTER KALII ROBERT

62.  CHARLES PETER

63.  BONIFACE BULUNYA MULAYI

64. THEOPHILUS MUENDO NZIOKA

65. PATRICK INGAYWA KAMITI

66. ALFRED ONYANGO OOKO

67. OGOLLA JOHNSTONE OCHOLA

68. BENARD MUSYOKA NGUTU

69. JEFERSON MUTUKU KALI

70. JOHN ONGUKO ONANGO

71. NICHOLAS ODIWUOR OYOYO

72. DAVID MUIA SINGA

73. KENNEDY CHILANGO JAMBO

74. EVANS MONYENYE NYAMINA

75. JOHN ROLLINGS WANYAMA

76. BENEDICT KOMBE KATEMA

77. GILBERT KIPLANGAT NGENO

78. JOHN WANJALA MUNYALO

79. DANIEL OGOIJA NYAMUNGA

80. ANTONY V. SHALALA

81.  AMOS KATUNDU MUNYAO

82. NATHANIEL KARISA KAHINDI

83. CHRISPUS NGANGA MUTUNGA

84. URBANUS MUTUA NZIOKA

85. ANDREW KIMANTHI MUNYALO

86. CHENGO KARISA CHULA

87. SAMUAEL MUSEMBI MUTHAMI

88. ALEX CHIDZIDZINGO JUMAA

89.  WILDRED KYALO MBINDYO

90. MICHAEL MWADIME MBALA

91. JOSEPH NJERU PETER

92. ALEX NZUNGI KIINDU

93. EMMANUEL THABU CHENGO

94.  MUSEE MUTHUI

95. ELIUD KIPNGETICH KIPKEU

96. CHRISTOPHER ODHIAMBO

97. PHILIP MARUTI FUNDI

98. KENNEDY M. MUTHAMI

99. PATRICK MULEI MULONZI

100. VINCENT MWANGONGO MBOGHO

101. MORRIS BAYA YAA

102. BENJAMIN MWIKYA MUSEVE

103. SHIDA ALI MBARUK

104. YUSUFU KITURI WAUDA

105. NEMUAL KEORO BIKUNDO

106. OMARI SALIM GAVUGA

107. CALVIN KHALEVELE MBISHIA

108. FREDRICK NZUKU MAKAU

110. AUGUSTINE NZUKI KAMITU

111. TIMOTHY MUEMA MUNYI

112. RAYMOND ANGAYA SIOSO

113. GEOFREY MALUNDI MAKAU

114. ALEX WAMBUA NZOMO

115. JOSIAH KILEI NDINGILA

116. RUEBEN ONGOSI NYAMBEGERA

117. WYCLIFFE LUMWAJI LUSALA

118. KANYASYA MUNYOKI MWANGI

119. ERICKSON ALUKWE INGANJI

120. DANIEL MWASINGO MWARAMBE

121. JUSTUS MALINDA MAWEU

122. HASSAN KIPKEMBOI BETT

123. DANIEL MWILE KILONZO

124. MOSES COLLINS OKUNGU

125. ERICK MUTIE KILONZI

126. KEVIN MALENJE

127. ELIAS KATANA KAZUNGU

128. MAKAU MALII

129. PETER NZAKWA

130. WILLIAM MUTHOKA WAMBUA

131. SAMMY MUTUA KATHENGE

132. DAVID NUTUA KATHENGE

133. BAKARI KOMBO KIBWANA

134. NICHDEMUS KAMAU KASINA

135. NICOLAS KYALO MAITHA

136. GEORGE KISEMBE MASINDE

137. DOMNIC ROTICH

138. KELVIN MUSEMBI KILUNGU

139. ARNOLD CHAPA KITI

140. JOB WANYONYI BARASA

141. ADAMS KATANA RODGERS

142. KYALO MWANGANGI

143. DANIEL SHIMBE NEMUELA

144. AINEA OMUKA MACHENGO

145. LUDOVICK MICHEL LAWELA.............................CLAIMANTS

VERSUS

READY CONSULTANTS CO. LTD

PACKAGING MANUFACTURERS (1976) LTD............... RESPONDENTS

Rika J.

Court Assistant:  Benjamin Kombe

M/S J.A Abuodha & Company Advocates for the Claimant

Marend Necheza & Company Advocates for the 1st Respondent

Daly & Inamdar Advocates for the 2nd Respondent

RULING

1. The Claimants listed above, filed their Joint Statement of Claim on 16th August 2017.   They state they were employed by the 2nd Respondent at all material times, through the 1st Respondent, a Labour Outsourcing Company.

2. They state they were locked out, and their respective contracts of employment terminated by the 2nd Respondent on 9th June 2017.  They claim against both Respondents:-

a) Declaration that termination of Claimant’s contracts was unlawful and unfair.

b) Terminal benefits and compensation for unfair termination.

c) Costs.

d) Interest

3. On 7th November 2017, the Claimants filed an Application under Certificate of Urgency, for among others, orders that:-

a) 2nd Respondent is restrained by way of temporary injunction from moving out, carrying away, vacating, transferring, relocating, selling and/or advertising for sale or in any way dealing with the tools of trade and other machinery from the 2nd Respondent, pending hearing and determination of the Application.

b) Similar order as in (a) above, pending hearing and determination of the Claim.

c) The 2nd Respondent deposits security for its appearance in Court, in the sum of Kshs. 44,741,828.

d) Alternatively, the 2nd Respondent’s Directors are summoned before the Court to give their personal undertaking to settle any Judgment that may be entered against the 2nd Respondent.

4. Supported by the Affidavit of the 1st Claimant Erastus Munyoki Mutua, sworn on 7th November 2017, the Application was granted in terms of prayer (a) above in the interim, on 8th November 2017.

5. The 2nd Respondent filed a Replying Affidavit sworn by its Human Resources Manager Adams Olweny, on 23rd November 2017.  The 1st Respondent appears not to have filed a Replying Affidavit, but filed a Statement of Response on 30th October 2017.

6.  On 15th February 2018, the Parties’ Advocates agreed in Court that the Application is heard inter partes, on 22nd February 2018.

7. The Claimants’ Advocates did not attend Court to prosecute Claimants’ Application.  Ms. Onyango for the 2nd Respondent made her Submissions.  Ms. Maina for the 1st Respondent informed the Court that the Application does not touch on the 1st Respondent.

8.  It was after Respondents’ Advocates had finished addressing the Court, that Mr. Gikandi stood up.  He told the Court that he had been asked by a Legal Assistant from Claimants’ Advocates’ chambers, to hold Ms. Abuodha’s brief.  The Court was told that Ms. Abuodha entered the wrong hearing date in her diary.  She asked to be allowed another date to present her Submissions.  The Court declined adjournment.

9.  The 2nd Respondent submits that the Application is made under the Civil Procedure Rules.  This Court is not regulated by the Civil Procedure Rules.

10.  Rule 17 of the Employment & Labour Relations Court Rules, states an ex parte order shall be valid for only 14 days. The order as it stands is unlawful, and should be discharged.

11. No evidence has been provided by the Claimants to show that the 2nd Respondent is moving out of premises.  The Application is speculative.

12. Directors of the 2nd Respondent, as shown in the Affidavit of Adams Olweny, are all Kenyans.  The 2nd Respondent is a Kenyan Company.  The Directors and their Company, are not foreigners.  The Claimants have not established that the Directors are about to leave the jurisdiction of the Court.  The Directors can only be held personally liable, and summoned to account personally, if the Court is shown they are involved in fraud.

The Court Finds:-

13.  First, the Claimants filed their Application under Certificate of Urgency.  The Court granted their prayer to certify the Application urgent, and granted interim relief.  When the Application came up for the inter parte hearing, the Claimants were not ready to argue their Application.  Parties who approach the Court to be heard as a matter of urgency, must not be allowed to delay hearing, of their Applications at the inter partes stage.

14.  Second, the 2nd Respondent is a Company registered and domiciled in Kenya.  Its Directors are Kenyans.  It has not been shown that the 2nd Respondent and its Directors, intend to change this status, and place themselves beyond the jurisdiction of the Court, to defeat the process of this Court.

15.  Third, the Claim is made jointly, against 2 Employers.  It is not likely that if the Claimants are successful, they will not be able to execute against either Respondent. Their prayers for terminal dues and compensation are made against both Respondents.

IT IS ORDERED:-

a) The Application by the Claimants filed 7th November 2017 is declined.

b) Costs in the cause.

Dated and delivered at Mombasa this 20th day of March 2018.

James Rika

Judge