[2013] KEHC 1039 (KLR)

[2013] KEHC 1039 (KLR)

The court found that the application to strike out the petitions was an abuse of process because the applicant had already filed a notice of appeal on the same issue and was now seeking to relitigate it in the High Court. The existence of parallel proceedings on the same subject matter is not permissible and...

Source-derived case information.

Citation
[2013] KEHC 1039 (KLR)
Parties
Applicant: Gideon Mwangangi Wambua; Applicant: Hassan Njanye Charo; Respondent: Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission; Respondent: Khatib Abdalla Mwashetani; Respondent: Juma Musa
Court
High Court
Court Station
High Court at Mombasa
Jurisdiction
Kenya
Case Number
Election Petition 4 & 9 of 2013
Procedural Posture
Election Petition / Ruling on Motion to Strike Out Petitions
Outcome
application dismissed
Legal Topics
Gazettement of Election Results, Timeliness of Election Petitions, Abuse of Process, Res Judicata, Procedural Technicalities, Public Interest
Source Language
en
Election Petitions Constitutional Law Gazettement of Election Results Timeliness of Election Petitions Abuse of Process Res Judicata Procedural Technicalities Public Interest

Source-derived case record

Summary, issues, holding and outcome

More case intelligence is available

Unlock the full research layer for this judgment.

Downloadable case file Legal principles 5 Authorities cited 23 Party arguments 2
Sign in to unlock

Parties

Gideon Mwangangi Wambua

Applicant

Hassan Njanye Charo

Applicant

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission

Respondent

Khatib Abdalla Mwashetani

Respondent

Juma Musa

Respondent

Procedural Posture

Election Petition / Ruling on Motion to Strike Out Petitions

  1. 1 Whether the petitions were prematurely filed due to alleged lack of gazettement of election results as required by section 76(1)(a) of the Elections Act.
  2. 2 Whether the application to strike out the petitions constitutes an abuse of court process given the existence of a pending appeal on the same issue.
  3. 3 Whether procedural lapses in the gazettement of results should defeat substantive justice in election petitions.

Ratio Decidendi

The court found that the application to strike out the petitions was an abuse of process because the applicant had already filed a notice of appeal on the same issue and was now seeking to relitigate it in the High Court. The existence of parallel proceedings on the same subject matter is not permissible and undermines the integrity of the judicial process. The court further held that the gazettement of the names of elected persons, even if lacking full particulars of results, was sufficient for purposes of computing the time for filing election petitions. Procedural lapses in the form of gazettement should not defeat substantive justice, especially where no prejudice is shown. The...

Court Disposition

application dismissed

Orders

  • The Notice of Motion dated 28th May 2013 is dismissed with costs to the petitioners.