EAC court awards Kenyan ministers Sh160M

Written By:Walter Dzuya , Posted: Wed, Aug 18, 2010

The government Wednesday suffered yet another litigation setback after the East Africa Court of Justice awarded over 160 million shillings to two cabinet ministers and nine others following a successful petition.

In the case, Medical Services minister Anyang' Nyong'o and Labor Minister John Munyes had sued the government over its failure to nominate them to the East African Legislative Assembly in 2006.

In a landmark judgment, the court has ordered the government, through Attorney-General Amos Wako to pay 2 million dollars an amount equivalent to 160 million shillings to the ministers and nine other politicians.

In 2006, ministers Nyong'o, Munyes and nine other leaders drawn from various political parties under the National Rainbow Coalition (Narc) had filed an application challenging the nomination of Kenyan representatives to East African Assembly.

In its ruling, the court declared that the Kenyan National Assembly contravened the law by nominating the members instead of electing them.

Through Mutula and Company Advocates, the applicants demanded 440 million shillings as legal costs but their claim was slashed, with the court awarding them 160 million shillings.

This is the third time the government has been ordered to pay a colossal amount of money for litigation.

Earlier this year, a court awarded lawyer Ken Kiplagat 600 million shillings for representing the government at the International Court while Nyayo torture victims were awarded 36 million shillings.

This is the first time since its inception nine years ago, the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) is conducting its proceedings in Kenya