godfrey allen dhahabu and 4 others vs kigamboni municipal council and another 2024 tzhc 631 4 march 2024

IN TH E H IG H C O U RT O F T H E U N ITED R EP U B LIC O F TA N ZA N IA (DA R ES SA LAA M SU B -R EG ISTRY ) AT D A R ES SA LAA M M ISC ELLA N EO U S LA N D A P PLIC AT IO N N O . 28 6 O F 2022 (Originating from Land Case No. 107 of 2022) GODFREY ALLEN DHAHABU 1st APPLICANT ABDULMALIKI IDRISA BAJWALA 2"d APPLICANT YAHYA ISMAIL MIRANDU 3rd APPLICANT SHARI FA H. HAMDOUN 4th APPLICANT ALLY ISSA ALLY 5th APPLICANT VERSUS KIGAMBONI MUNICIPAL COUNCIL 1 ST RESPONDENT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL 2ND RESPONDENT RULING Date: 21/08/2023 & 04/03/2024 NKWABI, J.: This application derives from Civil Case No. 107 of 2022. The applicants are representing others in this application and in the main case: The orders that are sought in this application are: a. That the honourable Court be pleased to issue a declaratory order stopping the 1st Respondent, her agents and contractors from dumping waste in the applicants' premises pending hearing and determination o f t h e m a in c a s e . b. Costs of the application. 1 The application is brought under the provisions of section 95 and Order XXXV II Rule 2 of the Civil Pro cedure Code Cap. 33 R. E. 2019. The chamber summ ons is supported by a joint affi davit duly deponed upon by the applicants. The respondents filed a counter-affidavit. The disposal of the application was by way of w ritten subm issions. Mr. W alter Shayo, learn ed counsel fo r the applicants, subm itted in favour of the application while Mr. Gallus Lupogo, learn ed State Attorn ey, filed argum ents against the application. W hile advancing the application, the counsel for the applicants made it clear to the Court that the basis of this application is the proviso to Order XX XV II Rule 2 and the inherent powers of the Court under section 95 of the Civil Procedure Code. He relied too on Atilio v. Mbowe [1967] H.C .. D No. 284 which outlined the conditions for granting an injunction order as: i. There m ust be a serious question to be tried on the facts alleged, and the pro bability that the plaintiff will be entitled to the relief p ra y e d . 2 ii. Tha t the co u rt in te rfe re nce is ne cessa ry to p ro tect the p la intiff fr o m the kind o f inju ry w h ich m ay be irrepa ra b le be fo re his le g a l righ t is esta b lishe d . iii . Tha t o n the ba la nce th e re w ill be g re at ha rd sh ip an d m ischie f suffe red by the p la intiff from w ith h o ld in g o f th e injun ctio n th a n w ill be su ffe red by the de fen d a n t fro m g ran tin g it. M r. S h a yo m a in ta in e d tha t the fi rst co n d itio n ha s be e n me t o n accou n t of the fact tha t the re is a pe n d ing case C iv il ca se N o . 10 7 of 2 0 22 and th e app lican ts stan d cha n ce to succee d . O n his side , M r. Lup o g o co n ten d ed , w h ile ad o p tin g the co u n te r affi d a v it, tha t the a p p licatio n m isses the ele m e nt o f ex iste n ce of a se rio us q ue stio n (issues) to be tried and a pp lican ts' like lih oo d of su ccess. He m ade refe rence to Abdi Ally Salehe v. Ase Care Unit Ltd & 2 Others, Rev isio n N o . 3/2 0 12, CAT (u n re p o rted ) at pag e 9 w he re it w as stressed that: "When all the above minimal conditions are established,, the court oe/ore deciding one way or another should then consider other /ectors such as the conduct or the pert/es: dela½ lack or clean hands etc. chis 1s because as seen above 3 th e rem edy or injun ction has its roots in equity an d so equitable prin ciples m ay be applied in appropria te cases. . .. .,,, It is th us p re ssed by M r. Lup og o th at ev en w h e re the th re e tests as stated in Atili o's case (su p ra), th e ap p licatio n too sh ou ld pass the add itio n al e le m e n ts m e n tion e d in Salehe's case (su p ra). It w a s am p lifi e d that sin ce the app lican ts hav e ad d e d eig ht im po stures an d o n ly th re e plo ts are m e ntio ne d the n the a pp lican ts lack cl ea n han d s. T he lea rn e d S tate Atto rn ey , d id no t e nd th e re , he be efed up that in g ran tin g an ap p licatio n o f this natu re, pu b lic in te re st o r pu b lic po licy ha s to be co nsid e red by th e C o u rt , w he re as in . this app licatio n if th e decla rato ry o rde r w o uld be issue d , e nv iro n m e ntal po licy an d he alth po licy w o uld be affe ct ed th u s affect in g p ub lic po licy . In rejo in d e r, M r. S h ay o stated th at the co rre ct nu m b e r of a pp lican ts is sixty - on e an d ind icatin g the m as 69 in pa ra g rap h 2 of th e affi d av it is a slip o f th e pen . H e ad ds th at the am e nd ed p la in t cl e a rly in d icate s the lo catio n of the d u m p site in the respe ct iv e plo ts. It is also stre ssed tha t the cha lle nged leg a lity of the allo catio n o f a d u m p ing site in resid e ntia l a re a an d th e re is a chan ce of succee d in g . It is e xp a nded that the ap p lican ts a re fi rm that th e 4 d u m p site w a s un la w fully lo cated in the ir resid e nce . It is furt h e r cl a im ed tha t the a pp lican ts o ccup ied the area in d isp ute prio r to the pla n . In respect of the a rt icle cited by the le a rn e d S tate A tt o rn e y , he said the sa m e is no t bin d in g o n th is C o u rt . It is prayed th at the de cl a rato ry o rd e r be g ran ted . T ruth be said o n ce an d fo r all, the d e cl a rato ry o rde r so u g ht by the a p plican ts ap pe a rs to be im p o ssible to be ha n d ed d o w n at this m o m e nt o w in g to pu b lic po licy and en v iro n m e n tal co nce rn w hich culm ina te in to pu b lic in te rest. T he o rde r if g ran te d w o uld affect all the re sid e nts of K iga m b on i district an d pe rhap s cause the m to in c u r m o re co sts th us ha rdsh ip to the resp o nd e nts as o p p o sed to the ap p lican ts. In the p re m ise s I am in cl in e d to accep t the su b m issio n ma de by the le a rn ed S tate Atto rn e y fo r the re sp o nd e nts. In the fi n a l a n alysis, I rule tha t this app licatio n is u nte n ab le because p ub lic in te rest w ill be je o p a rd ize d w ith the o rd e r. C o sts sha ll ab id e by the o utco m e of the m a in su it. It is so o rde re d . DATED at KIGOMA this 4th day o f M arch, 20 24 4Y6~( J. F. N KWA BI .JUDGE 5