Murugi & 36 others v Kimathi t/a Maxxis Energy Nairobi Limited & 8 others (Miscellaneous Civil Application E571 of 2025) [2025] KEHC 10497 (KLR) (Civ) (10 July 2025) (Ruling) Neutral citation: [2025] KEHC 10497 (KLR) REPUBLIC OF KENYA IN THE HIGH COURT AT NAIROBI (MILIMANI LAW COURTS) CIVIL MISCELLANEOUS CIVIL APPLICATION E571 OF 2025 SIFUNA NIXON, J JULY 10, 2025 BETWEEN LILY MAUREEN MURUGI .......................................... 1ST INTENDED PLAINTIFF COLLINS NABISWA .................................................... 2ND INTENDED PLAINTIFF OJURO TELFORD ADUDA ........................................ 3RD INTENDED PLAINTIFF PHILOMENA OLESI OKWEMBA .............................. 4TH INTENDED PLAINTIFF ROBERT IDEWA OMUSE ............................................ 5TH INTENDED PLAINTIFF MERCY CAMILLA WANG’OMA ............................... 6TH INTENDED PLAINTIFF MARK ANTHONY MUOKI ....................................... 7TH INTENDED PLAINTIFF ABUOM KIDRON OTIENO ....................................... 8TH INTENDED PLAINTIFF RECHEAL NAMUKEMO ............................................ 9TH INTENDED PLAINTIFF DANIEL ONG’AO MAKORI ...................................... 10TH INTENDED PLAINTIFF ADVENTINE MKOYA ................................................ 11TH INTENDED PLAINTIFF TIMOTHY KAMANDE ............................................. 12TH INTENDED PLAINTIFF JMK (MINOR SUING THROUGH HER NEXT FRIEND JMK (MOTHER) ................................................................... 13TH INTENDED PLAINTIFF JMK ............................................................................... 14TH INTENDED PLAINTIFF ANDREW WABWIRE CHACHA ............................. 15TH INTENDED PLAINTIFF BRIAN BUSU .............................................................. 16TH INTENDED PLAINTIFF MOUREEN WANJIRU MBUGUA ............................ 17TH INTENDED PLAINTIFF https://new.kenyalaw.org/akn/ke/judgment/kehc/2025/10497/eng@2025-07-10 1
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FELIX OCHIENG ........................................................ 18TH INTENDED PLAINTIFF ELIZABETH NJERI NDEGEAH ............................... 19TH INTENDED PLAINTIFF BELINDA AKINYI ABUOM ...................................... 20TH INTENDED PLAINTIFF PURITY NTHAMBA MUIA ...................................... 21ST INTENDED PLAINTIFF DOREEN MUTANU MUSYOKA ............................. 22ND INTENDED PLAINTIFF YVONNE MUNYIVA MUSYOKI .............................. 23RD INTENDED PLAINTIFF SARAH WAMBUI NDUNG’U ................................... 24TH INTENDED PLAINTIFF PATRICK CHEM NGEYWO ..................................... 25TH INTENDED PLAINTIFF ONESMUS MULEI MUTISYA ................................... 26TH INTENDED PLAINTIFF ALPHONCE MUTHENGI ......................................... 27TH INTENDED PLAINTIFF VIRGINA WAYUA ...................................................... 28TH INTENDED PLAINTIFF JONES MAUNDU MBALUKA .................................. 29TH INTENDED PLAINTIFF SILAS OTIENO ODERO ............................................ 30TH INTENDED PLAINTIFF ROSE MWENDE .......................................................... 31ST INTENDED PLAINTIFF ALFRED JUMA SIKOYO ........................................... 32ND INTENDED PLAINTIFF ERICK ODHIAMBO ONDIEK ................................. 33RD INTENDED PLAINTIFF EDWIN PRINCE OKWERO ..................................... 34TH INTENDED PLAINTIFF LYDIA WANJA GITHUI ............................................ 35TH INTENDED PLAINTIFF BONFACE NDAKALA SAYA ..................................... 36TH INTENDED PLAINTIFF ALVIN MUSYOKA ...................................................... 37TH INTENDED PLAINTIFF AND DERRICK KIMATHI T/A MAXXIS ENERGY NAIROBI LIMITED ..................................................................... 1ST INTENDED DEFENDANT DERRICK KIMATHI & DERDOLS TECH SERVICES LIMITED BOTH T/A DERDOLS PETROLEUM LIMITED ...................... 2ND INTENDED DEFENDANT MWANGI NGUYO .................................................... 3RD INTENDED DEFENDANT NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY (NEMA) .... 4TH INTENDED DEFENDANT ENERGY AND PETROLEUM REGULATORY AUTHORITY (EPRA) ........................................................................ 5TH INTENDED DEFENDANT NAIROBI CITY COUNTY ...................................... 6TH INTENDED DEFENDANT MINISTRY OF ENERGY AND PETROLEUM ...... 7TH INTENDED DEFENDANT MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE CHANGE AND FORESTRY ................................................................. 8TH INTENDED DEFENDANT https://new.kenyalaw.org/akn/ke/judgment/kehc/2025/10497/eng@2025-07-10 2
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ATTORNEY GENERAL ........................................... 9TH INTENDED DEFENDANT RULING 1. This ruling is on this Application dated 5th May 2025. The same which was filed as an originating Summons seeks leave for the Applicant to file an action out of time. 2. The intended action is a tort action arising from personal injuries sustained in a petroleum gas [LPG] explosion fire that occurred on 1st February 2024 in Mradi Area of Embakasi Sub-County in Nairobi City County. 3. The Application is stated to have been brought pursuant to Order 37 Rule 6 of the Civil Procedure Rules, as well as Section 27 of the Limitation of Actions Act [Cap 22 Laws of Kenya], as read together with Section 3 of the Public Authorities Petroleum Act. 4. Such action against government authorities are under the later supposed to be filed within one year. Under Section 27 of the Limitation of Actions Act, the time for bring actions based on tort may be extended on good ground and reasonable cause being shown. 5. In the Supporting Affidavit for this Application, the Applicant has attributed to delay in bringing the action, to the incapacity caused by the life-threatening injuries sustained by the victims/s 37 in number, namely; 1. Lily Maureen Murugi 2. Collins Nabiswa 3. Ojuro Telford Aduda 4. Philomena Olesi Okwemba 5. Robert Idewa Omuse 6. Mercy Camilla Wang’oma 7. Mark Anthony Muoki 8. Abuom Kidron Otieno 9. Recheal Namukemo 10. Daniel Ong’ao Makori 11. Adventine Mkoya 12. Timothy Kamande 13. VM [suing through the next friend JMK] 14. JMK 15. Andrew Wabwire Chacha 16. Brian Busu 17. Moureen Wanjiru Mbugua https://new.kenyalaw.org/akn/ke/judgment/kehc/2025/10497/eng@2025-07-10 3
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18. Felix Ochieng’ 19. Elizabeth Njeri Ndegeah 20. Belinda Akinyi Abuom 21. Purity Nthamba Muia 22. Doreen Mutanu Musyoka 23. Yvonne Munyiva Musyoki 24. Sarah Wambui Ndung’u 25. Patrick Chem Ngeywo 26. Onesmus Mulei Mutisya 27. Alphonce Muthengi 28. Virgina Wayua 29. Jones Maundu Mbaluka 30. Silas Otieno Odero 31. Rose Mwende 32. Alfred Juma Sikoyo 33. Erick Odhiambo Ondiek 34. Edwin Prince Okwero 35. Lydia Wanja Githui 36. Bonface Ndakala Saya 37. Alvin Musyoka Determination 6. Upon considering the grounds in the Application, and the reasons given for the delay in bringing action, I find that the Application meets the threshold for granting an extension of time for bringing the intended tort action. 7. The Application is hereby allowed; in terms that the period for filing the action is hereby extended for a period of six months; starting a day after the lapse of the Statutory period within which the action was to be instituted. Meaning that the suit shall be filed on or before 1st August 2025. 8. There shall be no order as to the costs on this Application. DATED AND DELIVERED AT NAIROBI ON THIS 10TH DAY OF JULY 2025. PROF [DR] NIXON SIFUNA JUDGE https://new.kenyalaw.org/akn/ke/judgment/kehc/2025/10497/eng@2025-07-10 4
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