Samuel Githegi Mbugua,Grace Muthoni Githegi,Margaret Mithiri Mbugua ,Ruth Wanjiku, Esther Njeri & Paul Ndungu as Executors of the Estate of Mary Warurii Gakunju v National Land Commission, Bernard W Wanjohi, Francis W Njuguna as Chairman And Secretary of Kasarani Ancestral Families Self Help Group [2016] KEHC 3539 (KLR)

REPUBLIC OF KENYA

IN THE HIGH COURT OF KENYA

AT NAIROBI

JUDICIAL REVIEW CIVIL MISC. APPLICATION NO.  321    OF 2016

IN THE MATTER OF  AN APPLICATION BY SAMUEL GITHEGI MBUGUA,GRACE MUTHONI GITHEGI,MARGARET NYOKABI MBUGUA, CHRISTINE MITHIRI  MBUGUA, AND (RUTH WANJIKU.  ESTHER  NJERI & PAUL  NDUNGU) as  EXECUTORS  OF THE ESTATE  OF MARY WARURII GAKUNJU  FOR LEAVE TO APPLY FOR  JUDICIAL  REVIEW  ORDERS  OF PROHIBITION AGAINST  THE NATIONAL  LAND COMMISSION.

IN THE MATTER:  OF THE CONSTITUTION OF KENYA 2010

AND

IN THE MATTER:  OF THE NATIONAL LAND COMMISSION ACT NO.  5 OF 2012

AND

IN THE MATTER OF: THE LAW REFORM ACT CAP 26 LAWS OF KENYA

AND

IN THE MATTER OF:  THE ENVIRONMENT AND LAND COURT ACT 2011

IN THE MATTER OF:  HIGH COURT  OF KENYA(ELC) NUMBER  557 OF 2009(MACHETHA  KARIUKI & OTHERS  VS  SAMUEL GITHEGI MBUGUA & OTHERS –PENDING  ) AND  HIGH COURT  PETITION  NUMBER  462  OF  2012  (ELC  NO. 879 OF 2012)

IN THE MATTER OF: CIVIL PROCEDURE RULES 2010 & THE FAIR ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION ACT 2015

BETWEEN

SAMUEL GITHEGI MBUGUA…………………………….APPLICANT

GRACE MUTHONI GITHEGI……………………….…….APPLICANT

MARGARET MITHIRI MBUGUA………………….……. APPLICANT

RUTH WANJIKU, ESTHER NJERI & PAUL NDUNGU AS EXECUTORS OF THE ESTATE OF  MARY WARURII GAKUNJU……APPLICANT

VERSUS

NATIONAL LAND COMMISSION……………….….RESPONDENT

AND

BERNARD W. WANJOHI, FRANCIS W. NJUGUNA AS CHAIRMAN AND SECRETARY OF KASARANI ANCESTRAL FAMILIES SELF HELP GROUP…….INTERESTED PARTY

RULING ON STAY PENDING JR PROCEEDINGS

This matter came before me under certificate of urgency on 25th July 2016 for consideration.  I certified  the  matter  as urgent and granted  the exparte  applicant leave  to apply  for Judicial  Review  orders  sought, which are  for prohibition.  The applicant  had also  sought that such  leave granted do  operate  as stay of  proceedings pending before the respondent National Land Commission  particularly on 29th July 2016  or  any other  date subsequently until  the hearing  and determination  of the  substantive  motion.  I therefore  fixed  this mater for today for interpartes  mention after directing that the   respondents  be served  with the application, so that the  issue of  stay of proceedings  can be considered  interpartes.

Today, Mr Mbuthia counsel the respondent appeared in court and confirmed that their client had been served.  He however objected  to a stay  being granted  as  the matters  herein pleaded  are subject  of similar proceedings pending  before  the Environment  and Land  Court and that  parties  had in  that matter   been directed  to appear  before the respondent  National Land  Commission.  He was  of the view  that the  applicants  herein are  abusing the court  process since these issues  are the same  as those  pending  before the Environment  and Land Court vide  Judicial Review  No.582/2016  and that the applicants have not made  full disclosure.

In response, Mr Njagi counsel for  the applicants  submitted that his clients  had made full  disclosure  and that the petitioner  before the National Land Commission is Kasarini Ancestral  Families Self  Help Group  who  took the  position that  the orders  made by L. Gacheru  J  did not  directly  affect them.  Further, Mr Njagi submitted that Judicial Review No. 582/2016   is not directly connected to this matter and that the interested party is not the same.  He went  further to submit that in their  full disclosure  concerning  Judicial Review 582/2016  the applicants also disclosed  having  filed Judicial Review  153/2016  and withdrawn  it since  no hearing   dates  were available.  He contended that the National Land Commission has no jurisdiction to hear parties over matters which have been decided   by courts   of competent jurisdiction.

This court, upon hearing  both  parties’  advocates on the issue of  stay of proceedings  pending before  the National Land Commission directed  that the Environment and Land Court  Judicial Review  No. 582/2016  be availed  for  perusal and that file  was expeditiously availed to me.

I have carefully perused Judicial Review  ELC  582/2016   which  was filed  on 2nd June  2016  under certificate  of  urgency.  In that  matter, on 2nd June  2016   Honourable L. Gacheru J Duty  Judge of Environment and Land Court   did certify the  matter as  urgent and fixed it  for interpartes  hearing on 7th June  2016.  On 7th June  2016, she granted  leave to  apply in terms  of prayer No. 2  but regarding prayer for  stay, she  noted that there  were interim orders in file No.  ELC 557/2009 which were in operation hence no need for new orders.  She directed that service of the application be   effected upon the respondents/Interested party for interpartes hearing on 23rd June 2016.

On 23rd June 2016, Mr Njagi counsel for the applicant and Mr Mbuthia for the respondent appeared.  Mr  Mbuthia  sought for  time to  respond  to the  application and the court  granted leave of  21 days  to  the respondent  to file a replying  affidavit, while the  applicant  was granted  leave if  need be, to  file a  supplementary  affidavit within  14 days  and the Notice of  Motion  was slated  for hearing  on 7th November  2016  by consent.

The question is, is there any similarity between ELC JR 582/2016 and this matter and if so, is there an abuse of the court process?

Starting with ELC JR 582 of 2016, the Exparte applicants are:

Samuel Githegi Mbugua

Grace Muthoni Githegi

Margaret Nyokabi Mbugua

Christine Mithiri Mbugua

Ruth Wanjiku, Esther Njeri & Paul Ndungu as executors of the estate of Mary Warurii Gakunju.

The respondent in the said case is the National Land Commission.

In the said motion, ELC 557/2009 (Machetha Kariuki & Others    Vs Samuel Githegi Mbugua & Others) is cited as one of the matters in issue and which matter is pending.

Examining prayer  No. 2  of the  Chamber Summons dated  25th July 2016  subject of this ruling and comparing  it  with the prayer No. 2  of the Chamber  Summons dated 2nd  June 2016   in ELC  JR  582/2016,  the persons who are  sought to be  prohibited  from hearing  the  petition are the National Land Commission.  The named complainants,/petitioners / in both cases are  a group  calling itself  Kasarini Ancestral Families Self Help Group, who in ELC JR 582/2016  are said  to be plaintiffs in ELC case No. 557/2009.  The title numbers are the same.  In that matter ELC JR 582/2016, the applicants herein sought for stay of proceedings pending before the National Land Commission in so far as those proceedings were related to ELC 557/2009.

From the above, I am persuaded  that this application involves  the same parties  and is  a parimateria  with the applications  filed in ELC JR 582/2016  wherein the court  clearly stated  that the orders  made in ELC 557/2009  were still in force  and applicable  hence there   was no need to make fresh orders.

I also note that in ELC JR 582/2016, the pleadings did not specifically name the officials   of Kasarini Ancestral Family Self help Group, which officials are named herein.  Nonetheless, this court  finds that the option available  to the applicants  herein was  to revert  back to ELC 557/2009  or ELC JR 582/2016 to obtain a specific order  for stay of proceedings  pending before  National Land Commission between  the same parties  hereto and not to file  a separate Judicial Review matter  in the High Court  seeking  for stay.  To duplicate proceedings in  my humble view, is  to seek to  confuse the  cause of justice  and to conflict  the courts  which are  likely to  issue contradictory orders  and in the end, this could  embarrass the judicial officer making such  orders.  The application for stay is therefore found to be wanting in merit and I decline to grant   any stay orders as prayed.  The prayer thereof is dismissed.

Orders accordingly.

R.E. ABURILI

JUDGE

28/7/2016