Tarus & 51 others v Attorney General & 4 others; Kebenei & 14 others (Interested Parties)

JAPHATE KIPKEMBOI MAGUT .................................................. 4TH PETITIONER EZEKIEL RONO .............................................................................. 5TH PETITIONER SERGOIT RIVER CATTLE DIP .................................................... 6TH PETITIONER REGISTERED TRUSTEES, AIC CHURCH ................................. 7TH PETITIONER THE BORAD OF SERGOPIT RIVER FARM SCHOOL ............. 8TH PETITIONER PAULINA CHUMA .......................................................................... 9TH PETITIONER ELIJA CHEMAIYO ........................................................................ 10TH PETITIONER LILIAN JERUTO KITUR ............................................................. 11TH PETITIONER STANLEY KIPTOO METTO ....................................................... 12TH PETITIONER WILFRED KIMALAT .................................................................... 13TH PETITIONER QUANDS ACHIM .......................................................................... 14TH PETITIONER JOSHUA KIPROTICH MAGUT .................................................. 15TH PETITIONER ROSA JERUBET BIWOT .............................................................. 16TH PETITIONER JEPLETING MITEI ........................................................................ 17TH PETITIONER JOAN BEARNARD SICHARD .................................................... 18TH PETITIONER GRACENTINI SICHARD ............................................................ 19TH PETITIONER SAMWEL KIPRONO SAMOEI .................................................... 20TH PETITIONER PAUL KIPSANG MENGECH ........................................................ 21ST PETITIONER EDWARD KIPLAGAT SOI ........................................................... 22ND PETITIONER MARTHA ONYANGORE ............................................................. 23RD PETITIONER BERNATE ANYANGO .................................................................. 24TH PETITIONER MARY NEKESA SOGHO .............................................................. 25TH PETITIONER AUGUSTINE LELIT ...................................................................... 26TH PETITIONER NORBART MANGI MUYA .......................................................... 27TH PETITIONER MONICA JERUTO RUTO ........................................................... 28TH PETITIONER NICHOLUS ROP KIPKEMBOI ................................................... 29TH PETITIONER NELSON KIPRONO ORGUT ...................................................... 30TH PETITIONER BENJAMIN KUTO ......................................................................... 31ST PETITIONER LINUS CHERUIYOT ..................................................................... 32ND PETITIONER PAUL KIPKORIR SUM ................................................................ 33RD PETITIONER KIMUTWAL CHERUIYOT .......................................................... 34TH PETITIONER JOSEPH KOMEN ........................................................................... 35TH PETITIONER https://new.kenyalaw.org/akn/ke/judgment/keelc/2023/16953/eng@2023-04-20 2

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SISUMA INVESTMENT ............................................................... 36TH PETITIONER BRI ROP ......................................................................................... 37TH PETITIONER DAVID KIMUREI MENGICH ..................................................... 38TH PETITIONER JOSEPH KIBET ROTICH ............................................................. 39TH PETITIONER PERES JEMELI KOIMUR ............................................................. 40TH PETITIONER FRANCIS OSANO OMWENGA .................................................. 41ST PETITIONER DANIEL KOMEN .......................................................................... 42ND PETITIONER JOSHUA KIPLETING SULAI ....................................................... 43RD PETITIONER JOHN KIPKEMBOI KOECH ....................................................... 44TH PETITIONER PROF GABRIEL MISANGO ANABWANI ................................. 45TH PETITIONER DAVID KIPTALAM BETT ........................................................... 46TH PETITIONER MARY OLOO SILA ........................................................................ 47TH PETITIONER DR SILVANO KIPYEGO ROTICH .............................................. 48TH PETITIONER EVERLINE JEPKEMBOI KEINO ................................................ 49TH PETITIONER BARABARA LAGAI ...................................................................... 50TH PETITIONER PROF MARTIN HENRY KIMUREI ............................................ 51ST PETITIONER WILSON CHUMA ......................................................................... 52ND PETITIONER AND THE HON ATTORNEY GENERAL ............................................ 1ST RESPONDENT NATIONAL LAND COMMISSION ............................................ 2ND RESPONDENT CHIEF LAND REGISTRAR ........................................................ 3RD RESPONDENT ESTATE OF ESMAIL NURANI ................................................... 4TH RESPONDENT ESTATE OF NYONGIO KIMITEI ............................................... 5TH RESPONDENT AND ZADRACK KEBENEI .............................................................. INTERESTED PARTY JAPHETH KIPKEMBOI MAGUT ......................................... INTERESTED PARTY WILFRED KIPTUM KITUR ................................................. INTERESTED PARTY GRACE M SICARD ................................................................. INTERESTED PARTY NERBERT MAINGI MUYA ................................................... INTERESTED PARTY BENSON KIPCHUMBA CHERONO .................................... INTERESTED PARTY MARGARET JEMISTO TUITOEK ....................................... INTERESTED PARTY JUDITH CHEBET KEMBOI ................................................... INTERESTED PARTY https://new.kenyalaw.org/akn/ke/judgment/keelc/2023/16953/eng@2023-04-20 3

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LILIAN JERUTO KITUR ....................................................... INTERESTED PARTY ELIJAH CHEMAIYO ............................................................... INTERESTED PARTY WILFRED KIMALAT KITUR ............................................... INTERESTED PARTY MARTHA ONYANGORE ....................................................... INTERESTED PARTY JOAN JEPKORIR KOMEN .................................................... INTERESTED PARTY BENJAMIN KUTO .................................................................. INTERESTED PARTY NELSON ORGUT .................................................................... INTERESTED PARTY RULING 1. This is a ruling in respect of two preliminary objections led by the 4th and 5th Respondents. The preliminary objection by the 4th Respondent raises the following ground: 1. 2. The present suit drafted and led as a constitutional Petition does not raise any constitutional issues and therefore calls for the invocation by this Honourable court of the doctrine of constitutional avoidance as espoused by the Supreme court in the case of Communications Commissions of Kenya & 5 others – Vs- Royal Media Services Limited & 5 others (2014) EKLR. The 5th Respondents preliminary objection is based on the following grounds: 1. That the Petitioners Constitutional petition led herein does not raise any constitutional issues as enshrined under to Articles 3(1) 21(1), 28, 19, 40 and 43 of the Constitution of Kenya as read with Rule 1,2,3,4,10,11,20,21 and 33 of the Constitution of Kenya (Protection of Rights and Fundamental Freedom, Practice and Procedure Rule). 2. That the Petition is a replication to Eldoret HCC Petition No 3 of 2019 which has already been determined. 3. That the petition is sub-judice as there is a similar cause of action vide Eldoret Environment & Land Cour No 40 of 2019 where Petitioners and the Defendants have fully defended the suit. 4. That petition is an abuse of the court process and should be dismissed with costs to the 5th Respondent. 3. The parties were directed to le written submissions in respect of the two preliminary objections. The 5th Respondent led submissions on October 19, 2021. The 4th Respondent did not le submissions but relies on the submissions of the 5th Respondent. The 1st Petitioner led submissions on January 16, 2023. The 2nd to 52nd Petitioners led submissions on October 28, 2022. the 1st to 15th Interested Parties led their submissions on February 21, 2023. 4. I have gone through the submissions led. There are two issues for determination in this matter. The rst is whether the grounds raised in the preliminary objections meet the threshold of what a preliminary objection should be. The second is whether this suit is sub-judice. https://new.kenyalaw.org/akn/ke/judgment/keelc/2023/16953/eng@2023-04-20 4

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5. A preliminary objection was dened in the case of Mukisa Biscuit Manufacturing Co. Ltd –Vs- West End Distributors Ltd (1969) EA 696 as follows: ' A preliminary objection consists of a point of law which has been pleaded, or which arises by clear implication out of pleadings, and which if argued as a preliminary point may dispose of the suit. Examples are an objection on jurisdiction of the court or a plea of limitation or a submission that the parties are bound by the contract giving rise to the suit to refer the dispute to arbitration.' 6. The court in the Mukisa Biscuit Manufacturing Co Ltd (Supra) went on to state as follows: ' A preliminary objection is in the nature of what used to be a demurrer. It raises a pure point of law which is argued on the assumption that all facts pleaded by the other side are correct. It cannot be raised if any fact has to be ascertained or if what is sought is the exercise of judicial discretion.' 7. Both the 4th and 5th Respondent have argued that the petition herein does not raise constitutional issues. This is not a pure point of law which will qualify as a preliminary objection. This is because the court will have to considered all the pleadings led to ascertain whether the petition raises constitutional issues or not. 8. The issue of this petition being a replica of petition No 3 of 2019 is also not a pure point of law. In any case, petition No 3 pf 2019 was struck out as it was led in a court without jurisdiction to entertain it. Even if the 5th Respondent was to raise a point of res judicata, it will not succeed as the petition was not heard on merits. 9. The other grounds raised is that this petition is subjudice. The reason is that there is ELC No 40 of 2019 pending in court where the parties in this petition are also involved. A constitutional petition is a special way of raising matters which touch on public bodies. A civil case on the other hand involves disputes between individuals and at times public bodies. The two cannot be said to be the same. Therefore, even if the parties are the same and the subject matter is the same, it will depend on the reliefs sought in each of the two cases. This is the reason why it is not desirable to consolidate a constitutional petition with an ordinary civil suit. It is therefore not appropriate for one to raise the issue of subjudice. The two suits are better handled separately. 10. Whether the petition is subjudice or an abuse of the court process will require the court to examine the two suits carefully to ascertain whether there is abuse of the process of court or subjudice. I therefore nd that the two preliminary objections have no merits. I proceed to dismiss both preliminary objections. Each party shall bear their own costs. It is so ordered. DATED, SIGNED AND DELIVERED AT ELDORET ON THIS 20TH DAY OF APRIL, 2023. E. O. OBAGA JUDGE In the virtual presence of; Ms. Munene for Mr. Gathara for 2nd to 52nd Petitioners. Mr. Ondieki for Interested parties and for Ms. Barasa for 4th Respondent. https://new.kenyalaw.org/akn/ke/judgment/keelc/2023/16953/eng@2023-04-20 5

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Ms. Kosgei for Mr. Omboto for 5th Respondent. Court Assistant –Laban E. O. OBAGA JUDGE https://new.kenyalaw.org/akn/ke/judgment/keelc/2023/16953/eng@2023-04-20 6

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