The High Court has summoned Attorney General Dorcas Oduor and Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo to appear before it in a case where a Kenyan was awarded Ksh1.5 million in compensation.
In a ruling delivered by Justice John Chigiti, the two officials were found in contempt of court for failing to honour a judgment originating from the High Court on April 26, 2024, directing Robert Ndichu to be awarded the compensation after a previous disregard of the ruling.
According to court documents, Ndichu told the court that in the year 2009, he sued the Attorney General and successfully obtained a judgment and a decree against the respondent on September 28, 2012, for Ksh 1,595,605.
However, 13 years later, the government had yet to honour the compensation despite him following up with his advocates for the reward of the same. This prompted him to move the High Court praying for the judicial review orders, compelling the Attorney General and Interior PS to satisfy the said decree.
Additionally, the court was informed that since the initial ruling granting the compensation, both the Interior PS and the AG have never gone to court to explain why they could not comply with the directive.
''It is contended that despite service of the said orders upon the Respondents, they continue in non-compliance thereof with absolute impunity and disregard to the issuing court and this republic's justice sysem,'' read part of the court documents.
''It is further submitted that the Respondents have never made an attempt to come to Court and explain the difficulties (if any) faced by the need to comply with the order after the Court rendered the said decision.''
In his ruling, Justice Chigiti ordered that the two representatives of the offices of the Attorney General and Interior PS appear before the court on June 23 this year for mitigation and sentencing.
However, the two, according to the ruling, will be allowed to defend themselves before the court can issue the sentence.
''The Respondents are hereby cited for contempt of the court order issued by this court on the 26th of April 2024 in Misc. Judicial Review Appl. No. E159 of 2023,'' ruled Justice Chigiti.
''The Respondents are hereby summoned to personally appear before this Court for mitigation and sentencing on June 23, 2025, at 11 am in open court.''
What remains is whether the two will appear in court in person to respond to the summons as government officials have in the past found themselves on the receiving end of the justice system over failure to honour summons.
