[2008] KEHC 2010 (KLR)
The court held that the second defendant, being a branch of an unincorporated society registered under the Societies Act, lacked legal capacity to be sued in its own name. The law requires that such societies be sued through their officials. Since both the original and amended plaints named parties without legal...
Source-derived case information.
- Citation
- [2008] KEHC 2010 (KLR)
- Parties
- Plaintiff: Jeremiah Onami Obwoge trading as High Teck College of Accountancy; Defendant: The Chairman, Agricultural Society of Kenya (Southern Kenya Branch); Defendant: The Branch Manager, Agricultural Society of Kenya (Southern Kenya Branch)
- Court
- High Court
- Court Station
- High Court at Kisii
- Jurisdiction
- Kenya
- Case Number
- Civil Case 89 of 2007
- Procedural Posture
- Civil Case / Ruling on Application to Strike Out Amended Plaint
- Outcome
- suit struck out with costs to the defendants
- Judges
- DK Musinga
- Legal Topics
- Striking Out Pleadings, Capacity to Sue and Be Sued, Misjoinder of Parties
- Source Language
- en
Source-derived case record
Summary, issues, holding and outcome
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Parties
Jeremiah Onami Obwoge trading as High Teck College of Accountancy
Plaintiff
The Chairman, Agricultural Society of Kenya (Southern Kenya Branch)
Defendant
The Branch Manager, Agricultural Society of Kenya (Southern Kenya Branch)
Defendant
Procedural Posture
Civil Case / Ruling on Application to Strike Out Amended Plaint
Legal Issues
- 1 Whether the amended plaint is a nullity and incapable of curing the original defect.
- 2 Whether the defendants as named have legal capacity to be sued.
- 3 Whether the suit is scandalous, frivolous, vexatious or an abuse of court process.
Ratio Decidendi
The court held that the second defendant, being a branch of an unincorporated society registered under the Societies Act, lacked legal capacity to be sued in its own name. The law requires that such societies be sued through their officials. Since both the original and amended plaints named parties without legal capacity, the pleadings were fundamentally defective. The court found that the suit was bad in law and could not be cured by amendment. Consequently, the suit was struck out with costs to the defendants.
Court Disposition
suit struck out with costs to the defendants
Orders
- The plaintiff’s suit is struck out.
- Costs awarded to the defendants.
Full Case Text
Judgment text and source record
33 paragraphs
REPUBLIC OF KENYA
IN THE HIGH COURT OF KENYAAT KISII
Civil Case 89 of 2007
JEREMIAH ONAMI OBWOGE trading as
HIGH TECK COLLEGE OF ACCOUNTANCY …......................… PLAINTIFF
VERSUS
1. THE CHAIRMAN )
2. THE BRANCH MANAGER, ) …..................................... DEFENDANT
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF KENYA (SOUTHERN KENYA BRANCH) )
RULING
The defendants filed an application by way of Chamber Summons under Order I rule 10and22, Order VI rule 13(1) (b) and VIAof the Civil Procedure Rules. They urged the court to strike out the amended plaint filed on 14th August, 2007. The application was made on the grounds that:
(a) The original plaint is a nullity wherefore no
amendment can cure the defect engendered hereby.
(b) The effect of the amended plaint was to substitute the original defendant without leave.
(c) The defendants as set out in the amended plaint had
no capacity to be sued.
(d) There was no tenancy between the parties to warrant
the instant suit.
(e) The suit was scandalous, frivolous, vexatious and
abuse of the due process of this court.
The application was supported by an affidavit sworn by one Morris Ndugire, the branch manager of the Agricultural Society of Kenya, Kisii Branch.
Mr. Nyamurongi for the defendants submitted that the second defendant was a branch of a society known as The Agricultural Society of Kenya, which was duly registered under the Societies Act, Cap 108. Under that Act, it is the officials of the society who could be sued for and on behalf of the society. He cited the case ofSIMU VENDORS ASSOCIATION VS THE TOWN CLERK, CITY COUNCIL OF NAIROBI & ANOTHER,Misc. Application No.427 of 2005 of Nairobi.
The respondent did not file either grounds of opposition to the said application or a replying affidavit. Mr. Ombachi for the respondent submitted that the plaint was capable of amendment and urged the court not to strike it out. In his view, the defendants’ application was seeking to defeat the suit because of misjoinder of parties; contrary to the provisions of Order I rule 9.
It is not in dispute that the second defendant herein is not a legal entity capable of being sued in its own name; not even the mother society, The Agricultural Society of Kenya. It is trite law that an unincorporated society registered under the Societies Act can only be sued through its officials. The plaint and the amended plaint are bad in law.
I strike out the plaintiff’s suit with costs to the defendants.
DATED, SIGNEDandDELIVERED at Kisii this 25th day of June, 2008.
D. MUSINGA
JUDGE
Delivered in open court in presence of:
Mr. Ombachi for the plaintiffs.
Mr. Nyamurongi for the defendants.
D. MUSINGA
JUDGE