Peter Ongango Ochuoga v Payless Car Hire &Tours; [2015] KEELRC 621 (KLR)

REPUBLIC OF KENYA

IN THE EMPLOYMENT AND LABOUR RELATIONS COURT OF KENYA

AT NAIROBI

CAUSE NO. 159 OF 2011

PETER ONGANGO OCHUOGA ……..........……………….PETITIONER

VERSUS

PAYLESS CAR HIRE &TOURS…………….....………… RESPONDENT

Mr.Nyagoro for the Respondent/Applicant

M/S Gakoi for the Claimant/Respondent

RULING

1. Respondent  I Applicant filed  a Notice  of Motion Application on 12th August 2013 seeking orders interalia that;

3. the Award I Judgment made in this case on 24th May 2013, the proceedings  conducted and  all consequential orders emanating from the said Award be set aside.

4. that   the   Court   be   pleased   to   hear   afresh  the   matter interpartes.

2. The  Application is based  on  grounds  set out  on  the  Notice  of Motion to wit;

(i)   the  case was heard exparte and  the  Respondent  lost the opportunity to defend itself.

(ii)  the Respondent  was never served with summons or hearing notices.

(iii)  the  Respondent  only  discovered  the  existence of the  Claim when a stranger threw  a notification of judgment at a shop in town not affiliated with them and left.

(iv)  that the  Respondent  has. a  good  defence  to  this Claim  in that it can  prove that   the  employee deserted  his work without notice  amounting to misconduct thus necessitating the summary dismissal.

(v)  the  Claimant  misrepresented and  failed to  disclose crucial material facts in the case.

3. The  Claimant I Respondent  filed  a  Replying Affidavit  on  22nd  August  2013, in which he states that; the Advocates for the Claimant served a demand letter  on the Respondent who responded to it on 16th August 2010.   The letter is attached to the Replying Affidavit and marked “POO 1”.  The letter reads;

"I refer  to your  letter of 15th  July 2010 addressed to Budget Rent  a Car  of Kenya.   I am  instructed that my  said client have  never  employed a person  of your  client's  description and could therefore not have terminated his employment.

If you    have    copies   of   payslips   and I or   letter    of appointment, kindly let me have it to verify."

4.   The letter is written by Kelvin Mogeni Advocate on behalf  of the Respondent, the same Advocate  who has filed this Application. The Application contradicts  in material respects the contents of the aforesaid letter  in that  it is now admitted that  the Claimant was an employee of the Respondent Payless Car Hire and Tours TIA Budget  Rent a Car of Kenya and  was summarily  dismissed vide  a letter  dated 16th January 2009 ‘JR3’ for  deserting work?.

His payslip for January 2008 is also attached showing a gross pay of Kshs.11,395. 00 per month.

5.   The Claimant/Respondent restates  that  the Respondent/Applicant was served with the Memorandum of Claim  together with the  Notice  of  Summons  in their  offices on Mombasa Road and  they  duly  stamped and  accepted  service of the  Claimant's copies which are attached to the Replying Affidavit.

6.   That the Respondent I Applicant failed and I or neglected to put in any response to the claim.

7.   The Affidavits of service are attached and marked "POO 3".

8.   That the Court had no otherwise but to proceed with the matter exparte.

9.  That the Respondent/Applicant has not given any proper reason warranting the Court to set aside the proceedings and judgment delivered.

10.   That this Application if granted will curtail the Claimant's right to justice since justice delayed is justice denied.

11.   The Respondent I Applicant slept on its rights and equity does no aid the indolent. That allowing this Application will defeat the overriding objective of this case.

12.   That the Application be dismissed with costs.

Determination

13.   The Court   has perused   the Notice   of   Summons dated  23rd February 2011 and  the  Affidavits of service filed  on record and  is satisfied  that the  Respondent  I Applicant was  served  with  the Memorandum of claim  and  summons but  did not  file a response to the claim.

14.   The Respondent also received hearing notices on 17th September 2012 and 13th March 2013 served by Mr. Michael K. Rotich, a duly authorized Process Server at their offices along Mombasa Road but did not attend any of the set hearing dates.

15.   That  the response to the letter  of demand contradicts in material respects, the purported defence intended to be raised against the Claimant in that the Respondent  initially denied  knowledge and having ever employed the  Claimant, while  in this Application, it is  admitted that they  not  only know  the  Claimant but  he  was  their employee.

16.   The  Court  is  in  the  circumstances   not  satisfied  that  sufficient grounds  have  been  put  forth  to  justify the  setting  aside  of the judgment of Justice Rika delivered  on  24th May 2013.

17.   The Application   to set aside the   Judgment of Hon. Rika, J. delivered on 12th May 2013 is dismissed with costs.

Dated and Delivered at Nairobi this 3rd day of July 2015

MATHEW NDERI NDUMA

PRINCIPAL JUDGE