Milimani Primary School Committee v County Government of Nairobi [2017] KEHC 4283 (KLR)

REPUBLIC OF KENYA

IN THE HIGH COURT OF KENYA

AT NAIROBI

JUDICIAL REVIEW NO.  33 OF 2016

IN THE MATTER OF AN APPLICATION BY ZEDEKIAH ORIOKO, NORBERT  ALATO, MEDO MISEMA, KEVIN OCHELLE, FRANCIS NJOROGE, HARUN  KURIA, MARY ALUDO, ZAINAB ALI AND ANDRE OKWOME-MILIMANI  PRIMARY SCHOOL COMMITTEE FOR LEAVE TO APPLY FOR JUDICIAL  REVIEW  ORDERS  OF MANDAMUS

AND

IN THE MATTER OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF NAIROBI ALIAS THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT OF NAIROBI

AND

IN THE MATTER OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT   ACT CHAPTER 265 LAWS OF KENYA

AND

IN THE MATTER OF THE EDUCATION ACT CHAPTER 211 LAWS OF KENYA

THE MILIMANI PRIMARY SCHOOL COMMITTEE …….……APPLICANT

VERSUS

THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT OF NAIROBI…...................RESPONDENT

JUDGMENT

1. On 27th  July 2016 this court   issued  Judicial Review   orders  of mandamus  compelling  the respondent  to pay shs 772,830  to the applicant  within 90 days.  To date, that order has  not been complied  with.  The respondent has  severally  appeared  in this court  through  its counsel Mr Murage seeking for more time to  settle  the amount  in compliance  with the court  order and  as at yesterday,22nd March, 2017,  he urged  the court through  his colleague  Mr Macharia, for indulgence  to give the  settlement  cheque to  the applicant’s counsels  by end of  the day.  The court  directed  that the  cheque  be issued  and  in  default, the motion for  contempt  be heard  this morning  at  9. 00a.m.

2. Miss Ameyo  counsel for the  applicant  is in court  and  the respondents  counsel is absent despite  this date having  been taken  by consent  yesterday.

3. The application for contempt is not   opposed.

4. I have considered the application as filed and as argued  by Miss Ameyo.  It is not in dispute that the money  decreed  is due and owing as there is no appeal pending. It is also not in dispute that this court issued mandamus  orders on  27th January  2017  compelling  the respondent   to settle  the same.  There have been promises to settle the money in compliance  with the  court order  but those  promises  have not been fulfilled.

5. Court  orders  are  never issued  in vain.  They must be obeyed  to the  letter  and or challenged.  Obedience  of court orders  promotes  the rule of law  and  constitutionalism otherwise  this country  will be  reduced  to anarchy.

6. There is  evidence that the court order(mandamus) was served upon the respondent  on 19th September  2016  as shown by the applicant’s affidavit of service  and  the annexture  OAWJ annexed  to the applicant’s  affidavit.

7. That order is clear  as to what  the  respondent was being  commanded   to do within  90 days-to settle the decretal sum,  which time lapsed  long ago.

8. Failure to comply with court orders has consequences  stipulated  in law   and  in this case, I  find that  the  order of 27th July 2016 which  was  served on the  respondent for  compliance  has been brazenly  disobeyed by non-settlement of the decretal sum.

9. Accordingly, I find the respondent to be  in contempt  of court orders of  27th July  2016.  As the respondent  is an abstract  entity and as  the officer  responsible  for compliance  with the impugned court order  is the  Executive  Committee  Member for Finance, Mr Gregory Mwakanongo.  I hereby  find that the  court order  of  27th  July  2016 has been disobeyed by the said  CEC Member in his official Capacity.  He is  found to  be in contempt  of court and  convicted  accordingly.

10. As the  respondent  and the  said CEC Member who is convicted for contempt of court are not  in court,  I hereby  direct  the Deputy Registrar  of this court  to issue summons  to Mr Gregory Mwakanongo  CEC responsible for Finance, Nairobi City County to appear before this court on   11th April 2017  at  9. 00a.m  to   mitigate before  the court can  mete out  the appropriate  sentence for contempt  of court.

11. The applicant shall have costs of the notice of motion dated 26th January 2017.  This judgment to be typed forthwith.

Dated, signed and delivered in open court at Nairobi this 23rd day of March 2017.

R. E. ABURILI

JUDGE

In the presence of:

Miss Ameyo for the applicant

N/A for respondent

N/A for the Contemnor

CA: George