REPUBLIC OF KENYA High Court at Nairobi (Nairobi Law Courts) Petition 490 of 2012 KENYA SOCIETY FOR THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED.................PETITIONER AND SAMUEL NJUGUNA KABUE...................................................1ST RESPONDENT HELLEN MUDORA OBANDE.................................................2ND RESPONDENT PHOEBE A NYAGUDI..............................................................3RD RESPONDENT JOHN S HALAKE.....................................................................4TH RESPONDENT PATIENCE CHOME..................................................................5TH RESPONDENT PHITALIS WERE MASAKHWE..............................................6TH RESPONDENT JULIUS NABENDE....................................................................7TH RESPONDENT HON JOSEPHINE SINYO.........................................................8TH RESPONDENT HON JUSTIN MUTURI..............................................................9TH RESPONDENT MUTHONI KIHARA.................................................................10TH RESPONDENT JOSEPH M SHIROKO............................................................11TH RESPONDENT SIMON J NDUBAI...................................................................12TH RESPONDENT SUSAN KIRIM A......................................................................13TH RESPONDENT EUNICE KAHOI.......................................................................14TH RESPONDENT JOSEPH WAMATHAGA.........................................................15TH RESPONDENT CATHERINE AMUNGA WAMEYO..........................................16TH RESPONDENT LYNNETE MUGANDA..............................................................17TH RESPONDENT
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BEATRICE ODUNDO...............................................................18TH RESPONDENT CECILIA MBAKA.....................................................................19TH RESPONDENT KIZITO OMUKANGA...............................................................20TH RESPONDENT BEATRICE ODUNDO..............................................................21ST RESPONDENT ISAAC SIMIYU MANYONGE.................................................22ND RESPONDENT JOSEPHINE PAKATA.............................................................23RD RESPONDENT JACKSON LOKWATOM........................................................24TH RESPONDENT KIZITO OMUKANGA.............................................................25TH RESPONDENT JOHN F OLINGA.....................................................................26TH RESPONDENT BEATRICE ODUNDO.............................................................27TH RESPONDENT FRANCIS ASIEMA..................................................................28TH RESPONDENT JAYNE ASUMA.......................................................................29TH RESPONDENT CHARLES O ANYANGO........................................................30TH RESPONDENT RUKIA AHMED.......................................................................31ST RESPONDENT SIMON J NDUBAI..................................................................32ND RESPONDENT DAVID OLE SANKOK...........................................................33RD RESPONDENT ANASTACIA MAGOMA.........................................................34TH RESPONDENT SALOME WANJIKU KIMATA................................................35TH RESPONDENT TOM GICHUHI.........................................................................36TH RESPONDENT PADDY ONYANGO..................................................................37TH RESPONDENT FLORENCE PAKATA...............................................................38TH RESPONDENT GEOFFREY M WATHIGO........................................................39TH RESPONDENT JOSEPHAT O MUKOBE........................................................40TH RESPONDENT MBARAK S TWAHIR.............................................................41ST RESPONDENT TITUS M KILIKA....................................................................42ND RESPONDENT ANNE MUTHONI KAGWI.....................................................43RD RESPONDENT
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ISAAC MUIGUA MWAURA...................................................44TH RESPONDENT GODLIVER OMONDI..............................................................45TH RESPONDENT FATMA WANGARE HAJI.......................................................46TH RESPONDENT ALICE MITINE.........................................................................47TH RESPONDENT JAMES KARIUKI NDWIGA...................................................48TH RESPONDENT PETER WANGO .....................................................................50TH RESPONDENT RULING 1. The genesis of this matter is a dispute between the Kenya Society for the Mentally Handicapped and the respondents, some of who hold various offices in a statutory body, the National Council for Persons with Disabilities. 2. On 24th January 2013, I granted leave to the petitioner to withdraw the petition with no order as to costs. In view of the said withdrawal, the cross petition remains in place and I directed the respondents to show cause why the cross petition should not be struck out. 3. The cross petition is dated 30th November 2012 and the main grievance is that the petition was filed with malice, ill will and bad faith towards the respondents particularly given the nature of allegations made against them as officers of a statutory body and the fact that the petition was advertised without leave of this court. 4. My position in the matter is that parties have the right to institute proceedings within our courts particularly to vindicate their fundamental rights and freedom. If words are stated that are defamatory in nature, then a party has a right to have the scandalous and embarrassing material struck out and ordinarily the court will award costs. The cross petition, in my view is such an application. I think it would be against public policy and would undermine the right of access to court guaranteed under Article 22 and 48 to expose a party to legal proceedings to damage merely on account of matters said and done within proceedings. This is why I will disallow the cross-petition. 5. If matters are said outside the court or published, of and concerning the respondents, in a manner that their reputations are sullied, then the law of defamation provides adequate relief as those matters are clearly outside court proceedings and do not enjoy the sanction of the court. As I have stated the crosspetitioner’s relief in this matter is limited to an award of costs which in this case are deserved. 6. In my view then the proper orders are as follows; (1) The cross-petition dated 30th November 2012 be and is hereby struck out. (2) The petitioner shall bear the costs of the cross petitioners. DATED and DELIVERED at NAIROBI this 11th March 2013. D.S. MAJANJA JUDGE Ms Ashioya instructed by Ashioya and Company Advocates for the respondents.
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