[2008] UGHC 19

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\li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {\b\fs26\insrsid14364434 REPUBLIC OF UGANDA \par IN THE HIGH COURT OF UGANDA AT JINJA \par MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATION NO. 10 OF 2008 \par \par IN THE MATTER OF A PETITION BY EIGHT COUNCILLORS OF IGANGA TOWN COUNCIL TO REMOVE THE TOWN CLERK IGANGA \par \par AND \par \par IN THE MATTER OF AN APPLICATION FOR LEAVE TO APPLY FOR JUDICIAL REVIEW BY TUSUBIRA STEVEN \par \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\b\fs26\insrsid14364434 TUSUBIRA STEVEN ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: APPLICANT \par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\b\fs26\insrsid14364434 \par VERSUS \par \par {\listtext\pard\plain\b\fs26\lang2057\langfe1033\langfenp1033\insrsid14364434 \hich\af0\dbch\af0\loch\f0 1.\tab}}\pard \ql \fi-360\li360\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\jclisttab\tx360\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\ls1\adjustright\rin0\lin360\itap0 { \b\fs26\insrsid14364434 IGANGA TOWN COUNCIL \par {\listtext\pard\plain\b\fs26\lang2057\langfe1033\langfenp1033\insrsid14364434 \hich\af0\dbch\af0\loch\f0 2.\tab}BUTANDA SALIM \par {\listtext\pard\plain\b\fs26\lang2057\langfe1033\langfenp1033\insrsid14364434 \hich\af0\dbch\af0\loch\f0 3.\tab}KAKUBA AGGREY \par {\listtext\pard\plain\b\fs26\lang2057\langfe1033\langfenp1033\insrsid14364434 \hich\af0\dbch\af0\loch\f0 4.\tab}KALENGE ABDULLAH TIFFU \par {\listtext\pard\plain\b\fs26\lang2057\langfe1033\langfenp1033\insrsid14364434 \hich\af0\dbch\af0\loch\f0 5.\tab}NKONO AMINI \par {\listtext\pard\plain\b\fs26\lang2057\langfe1033\langfenp1033\insrsid14364434 \hich\af0\dbch\af0\loch\f0 6.\tab}NABIRYE MARGARET \par {\listtext\pard\plain\b\fs26\lang2057\langfe1033\langfenp1033\insrsid14364434 \hich\af0\dbch\af0\loch\f0 7.\tab}LEHANA MUHAMAD \par {\listtext\pard\plain\b\fs26\lang2057\langfe1033\langfenp1033\insrsid14364434 \hich\af0\dbch\af0\loch\f0 8.\tab}DHABASADHA UTHMAN:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::RESPONDENTS \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\b\fs26\insrsid14364434 \par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\b\fs26\insrsid14364434 RULING \par }\pard \qj \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\fs26\insrsid14364434 The applicant who is the current Town Clerk of Iganga brought this application under sections 33, 36 and 38 (1) of the Judicature Act and the Civil Procedure (Amendment) (Judicial Review) Rules, 2003, SI. No. 75 of 2003, now Order 46A of the Civil Procedure Rules. The applicant sought for leave to file an application for judicial review of a decision by the 2}{\fs26\super\insrsid14364434 nd}{\fs26\insrsid14364434 to 8}{ \fs26\super\insrsid14364434 th}{\fs26\insrsid14364434 respondents to bring a petition to have him removed from the office of town cle rk and for orders for prerogative writs of certiorari and prohibition, as well as an injunction and general damages against the respondents. The application was supported by a statement and an affidavit of the applicant both dated the 17}{ \fs26\super\insrsid14364434 th}{\fs26\insrsid14364434 of September 2008. \par \par The grounds on which the application is based are that the petition presented by the applicants seeking to impeach and remove the applicant from office is incurably defective and incompetent. Further that the applicant has never been served with the petition, which was supposed to have been considered by the Council in September 2008. That the petition was premature and in the interests of justice leave ought to be granted to the applicant to file an application for judicial review. \par \par The facts on which the application is based are in the affidavit in support, briefly that the applicant is the Town Clerk of the 1}{\fs26\super\insrsid14364434 st}{\fs26\insrsid14364434 respondent who was unlawfully removed from office in 2003 but was reinstated without loss of seniority by the Inspector General of Government in May 2007. That on the 13}{\fs26\super\insrsid14364434 th}{\fs26\insrsid14364434 August the 2}{ \fs26\super\insrsid14364434 nd}{\fs26\insrsid14364434 to 9}{\fs26\super\insrsid14364434 th}{\fs26\insrsid14364434 respondents presented a petition to the Speaker of the 1}{\fs26\super\insrsid14364434 st}{\fs26\insrsid14364434 respondent seeking to impeach and remove the applicant from office for abuse of office, incompetence and misconduct. \par \par The applicant also stat ed that the petition against him was presented to the speaker of the first respondent when he was away from office on leave, attending a course at the Law Development Centre in Kampala. The applicant further stated that he was not served with a copy of t he petition, which was supposed to have been heard on the 18}{\fs26\super\insrsid14364434 th}{\fs26\insrsid14364434 September 2008. It is also the contention of the applicant that the said petition which was attached to the affidavit as Annexure B is irregular, illegal, incurably defective and incompetent be cause it was not signed by 2/3 majority of the council as is required by s.68 (1) of the Local Governments Act. Further, that the petition also contravenes provisions of rule 107(5) of the Standard Rules and Procedures for Local Governments in Uganda. It is further contended that the allegations in the petition are anchored on internal audit reports that have not yet been considered by the Local Government Public Accounts Committee and for that reason the petition is premature. \par \par The applicant contends that the petitioners\rquote action of appointing a date on which to table the petition aimed at impeaching him and removing him from office without serving him with the petition and inviting him to attend the meeting at which it was to be tabled, while he was away o n study leave was a fundamental breach of the rules of natural justice. }{\fs26\insrsid6178073 It was f}{\fs26\insrsid14364434 urther }{\fs26\insrsid6178073 contended }{\fs26\insrsid14364434 that the petition, which was lodged by Councillor Butanda who had been suspended from participating in all council activities, c}{\fs26\insrsid6178073 ould not}{\fs26\insrsid14364434 stand since the person who lodged it had no }{ \i\fs26\insrsid14364434\charrsid750445 locus standi}{\fs26\insrsid14364434 . That in the interests of justice, the petition should be quashed and orders of prohibition, an injunction be granted prohibiting the respondents from going ahead with the incompetent petition aimed at unlawfully removi ng the applicant from the public office of Town Clerk. \par \par In order for this court to consider such an application the applicant must present facts that satisfy court that a prima facie case exists before leave can be granted. This test was established in the case of }{\b\fs26\insrsid14364434 Kikonda Butema Farmers Ltd. v. Inspector General of Government, Uganda Court of Appeal Civil Appeal No. 35 of 2002}{\fs26\insrsid14364434 (Unreported). In the case of Professor }{\b\fs26\insrsid14364434 Francis Omaswa & Dr. Catherine Omaswa, Msc Application No. 179 of 2006 (unreported),}{\fs26\insrsid14364434 this court held that in such applications the court also considers the magnitude of seriousness of the complaint raised by the applicant; the more serious the complaint the greater the necessity that the same be investigated by the court by way of judicial rev iew. Having stated the law, I shall now turn to the case made out by the applicants and examine whether it is deserving of bringing an application for judicial review before this court. \par \par The facts stated by the applicant in his affidavit clearly point}{\fs26\insrsid6178073 at some}{\fs26\insrsid14364434 flaunting of the rules of natural justice. The respondents attempted to have the petition discussed in council without giving the applicant notice of it. They also did not serve him with a copy of the same. Had he not got wind of it}{ \fs26\insrsid750445 and filed this application and one for an injunction,}{\fs26\insrsid14364434 the applicant could have been condemned unheard contrary to the provisions of article }{\fs26\insrsid8218275 28 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda.}{\fs26\insrsid11932914 }{\fs26\insrsid750445 The applicant also raised concern about the validity of the petition}{\fs26\insrsid7038640 , the fact that it had not been signed as required by law}{ \fs26\insrsid11932914 , and that it was premature}{\fs26\insrsid7038640 . }{\fs26\insrsid11932914 These are}{\fs26\insrsid7038640 also matter}{\fs26\insrsid11932914 s}{\fs26\insrsid7038640 worthy of consideration by this court. }{ \fs26\insrsid14364434 \par \par In conclusion, I find that the }{\fs26\insrsid11932914 applicant has}{\fs26\insrsid14364434 made out a prima facie case against the respondent}{\fs26\insrsid11932914 s}{\fs26\insrsid14364434 . }{\fs26\insrsid11932914 He is}{\fs26\insrsid14364434 therefore hereby granted leave to bring an application for judicial review for the reliefs claimed in }{\fs26\insrsid11932914 the }{\fs26\insrsid14364434 application. Such application shall be filed within }{\fs26\insrsid11932914 14}{ \fs26\insrsid14364434 days from the date of this order and the costs of this application shall abide the main application for judicial review. \par \par \par \par }{\b\fs26\insrsid14364434 Irene Mulyagonja Kakooza \par JUDGE \par 14/10/08 \par }{\fs26\insrsid14364434 \par \par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\b\fs26\insrsid14364434 \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\fs26\insrsid14364434 \par }}