[2020] KEHC 459 (KLR)
The court determined that it would be unjust to proceed without resolving the application for discovery, given its significance to the issues raised in the petition concerning transparency, public participation, and compliance with constitutional requirements. The file was returned to Meru for the applicant to...
Source-derived case information.
- Citation
- [2020] KEHC 459 (KLR)
- Parties
- Applicant: Kenneth Muriuki; Respondent: Meru County Assembly Service Board; Respondent: Meru County Assembly; Respondent: Jacob Kirari; Respondent: Earnest Kimaita
- Court
- High Court
- Court Station
- High Court at Meru
- Jurisdiction
- Kenya
- Case Number
- Petition 4 of 2020
- Procedural Posture
- Constitutional Petition / Directions on Application for Discovery and Petition; File Returned for Determination With Missing Application
- Outcome
- File returned for determination of the application for discovery and petition together; no final determination on merits.
- Judges
- F Gikonyo, TW Cherere
- Legal Topics
- Public Participation, Recruitment Processes, Right to Information, County Government Appointments
- Source Language
- en
Source-derived case record
Summary, issues, holding and outcome
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Parties
Kenneth Muriuki
Applicant
Meru County Assembly Service Board
Respondent
Meru County Assembly
Respondent
Jacob Kirari
Respondent
Earnest Kimaita
Respondent
Procedural Posture
Constitutional Petition / Directions on Application for Discovery and Petition; File Returned for Determination With Missing Application
Legal Issues
- 1 Whether the composition of the Meru County Assembly Service Board violated Article 27(8) of the Constitution.
- 2 Whether the recruitment, nomination, vetting, debate, and appointment of the clerk to the Meru County Assembly complied with constitutional and statutory requirements.
- 3 Whether there was adequate public participation in the recruitment process as required by law.
Ratio Decidendi
The court determined that it would be unjust to proceed without resolving the application for discovery, given its significance to the issues raised in the petition concerning transparency, public participation, and compliance with constitutional requirements. The file was returned to Meru for the applicant to provide a copy of the application for discovery, ensuring that both the application and the petition would be determined together by the judge allocated the file. This approach upholds the right to information and procedural fairness in matters of public interest and governance.
Court Disposition
File returned for determination of the application for discovery and petition together; no final determination on merits.
Orders
- The applicant to provide a copy of the application for discovery if the court copy cannot be found.
- The file to be determined together with the petition by the judge allocated the file.
Full Case Text
Judgment text and source record
29 paragraphs
REPUBLIC OF KENYA
IN THE HIGHCOURT OF KENYA
AT MERU
PETITION NO 4 OF 2020
KENNETH MURIUKI……......…………………………………PETITIONER
AND
MERU COUNTY ASSEMBLY SERVICE BOARD……..1ST RESPONDENT
MERU COUNTY ASSEMBLY……………...........………2ND RESPONDENT
AND
JACOB KIRARI……………………….….....……1ST INTERESTED PARTY
EARNEST KIMAITA………...........….....……….2ND INTERESTED PARTY
DIRECTIONS
Public participation in decision-making process
1. The Petitioner is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya. He stated that he filed this petition purely on public interest, good governance, accountability and inclusion of the people in the decision-making process. In his petition dated 9th March 2020, he sought for the following:
i. A declaration that the composition of the 1st Respondent as constituted on the 21st day of February, 2020 was in violation of Article 27(8) of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 and any business, actions and/or activities conducted by the 1st Respondent be declared invalid and a nullity.
ii. A declaration that the 2nd Respondent overlooked the constitutional and statutory requirements in approval of the 1st Interested Party as the clerk of the 2nd Respondent as it was in violation of the provisions of the Constitution, the standing Orders, County Government Act and the Public Appointments (County Assemblies Approval) Act, No 5 of 2017and therefore a nullity.
iii. A declaration that there having been no forum for public participation in the entire process of recruitment, nomination, vetting, debate and appointment of the 1st Respondent as the Clerk for the 2nd Respondent, the 1st and 2nd Respondents compromised their integrity and violated the provisions of Chapter 6 of the Constitution, thereby rendering the entire process a nullity.
iv. The entire process of recruitment of the clerk of the 2nd Respondent be nullified.
v. Costs of the petition.
2. I do note that the court made an order on 27th of July, 2020, that: -
1) The application for discovery and petition shall be disposed of together through written submissions.
3. I have looked for the application dated 2nd July 2020 but I was not able to find it. The petition is challenging the entire process of recruitment of clerk to the county assembly, and in some instances, insinuations of collusion as well as covert undertakings in respect of the recruitment, debate on and nomination thereof were made. The application for discovery of documents was also given very high premium in these proceedings. I am aware of the position of discovery within the wide concept of disclosure of and right to information under article 35 of the Constitution. Accordingly, it would be great injustice not to determine the application for discovery as had been ordered. Again, I do not intend to leave rugged edges which may invite unnecessary legal challenges of the decision.
4. On the basis of that reason, I return the file to Meru so that the applicant will provide a copy of the application for discovery- if the registry cannot find the court copy- for determination together with the petition by the judge who will be allocated this file. It is so ordered.
Dated and signed at NAROK this 14th day of December, 2020
F. GIKONYO
JUDGE
Dated, signed and delivered at Meru this 16th day of December 2020
T. W. CHERERE
JUDGE