Wamanda & 2 others v Egoli Estateds Limited & another (Environment and Land Case Civil Suit 103 of 2020) [2024] KEELC 1416 (KLR) (14 March 2024) (Ruling)
Neutral citation:
[2024] KEELC 1416 (KLR)
Republic of Kenya
Environment and Land Case Civil Suit 103 of 2020
OA Angote, J
March 14, 2024
Between
Cecilia Njeri Wamanda
1st Plaintiff
Bluebill Enterprises Limited
2nd Plaintiff
Rawja Company Limited
3rd Plaintiff
and
Egoli Estateds Limited
1st Defendant
R.J Varsani Limited
2nd Defendant
Ruling
Background
1.Vide Chamber Summons dated 27th March, 2023 brought pursuant to Sections 3A of the Civil Procedure Act, Rule 11(2) and 11(4) of the Advocates Remuneration Order, and Order 42 Rule 6 of the Civil Procedure Rules, 2010, the Applicant seeks the following reliefs:i.That this Honourable Court be pleased to re-tax the Bill of Costs dated 10th May, 2021(“the Bill of Costs”) in respect of the sum allowed on instruction fees.ii.That in the alternative to prayer 3 above, the Honourable Court be pleased to remit the Bill of Costs for re-taxation in respect of the sum allowed on instruction fees before a different Taxing Officer.iii.That the costs of this Application be provided for.
2.The application is based on the grounds on the face of thereof and supported by the Affidavit of Peter Magwa, the 3rd Plaintiff’s/Applicant’s Director of an even date.
3.Mr Magwa deponed that the Respondent’s Party and Party Bill of Costs against the Applicant dated 10th May, 2016 was first taxed on 28th October, 2021; that the same was set aside vide a Ruling dated 24th November, 2022 and remitted for taxation before a different Taxing Master and that on 14th March, 2023, the Bill of Costs was re-taxed at Kshs 952,358 with instruction fees set at Kshs 900,000.
4.According to the 3rd Plaintiff, there is an apparent error with respect to how the Taxing Master handled instruction fees by failing to consider the nature of the claim and interest as set out in the pleadings; that the Applicants’ claim was primarily for breach of contract as against the 1st Defendant, and as against the 1st and 2nd Defendants, for failure to comply with the legal pre-requisites for abstraction of ground water and boreholes pursuant to the Water Act.
5.Mr Magwa deponed that while the Taxing Officer noted the broader public interest motivated the Applicants’ claims, they were not factored in the reasons substantiating the award of instruction fees; that an award of Kshs 900,000 is manifestly high considering the Applicants’ claim, interests and the early withdrawal of the case and that the care and labour employed was not substantiated.
6.It was deponed that considering the nature of the claim, the Advocate Remuneration Order (2014) provides for Kshs 75,000 as the minimum fees chargeable as instruction fees and that the amount awarded is approximately 12 times more than what is prescribed which is not justified.
7.The deponent urged that he filed the suit in good faith on the basis that no checks were undertaken by the relevant authorities before issuance of abstraction of water by the 1st and 2nd Defendants; that he was constrained to litigate due to the Defendants’ actions and that as soon as they discovered that the Defendants had obtained the requisite approvals, he immediately withdrew the suit.
8.It was deposed by the 3rd Plaintiff that despite the withdrawal aforesaid, he continues to suffer because he needs to drill a new borehole at the cost of Kshs 4,000,000; that the Taxing Master failed to address apportionment of costs by the three plaintiffs saddling him with the entire costs and that his application is merited and should be allowed.
9.In response, the Respondents filed Grounds of Opposition in which they averred that:i.The Application is res judicata, the same having been heard, adjudicated and determined because:a.The Application seeks orders of remittance of the 1st and 2nd Defendants’ Bill of Costs dated the 10th May, 2021 for re-taxation which issues were conclusively dealt with by the Ruling delivered on the 24th November, 2022.b.The issues raised in the Application are directly and substantially similar to the issues raised in the 3rd Plaintiff/Applicants’ Application dated 11th November, 2021 and the 3rd Plaintiffs/Applicant cannot avoid the doctrine of res judicata by purporting to file a similar Application in the same forum.c.It is in the interests of justice that there be an end to litigation and accordingly, parties or those claiming under then should not be allowed to re-litigate over the same issues.
10.The application proceeded by way of submissions which I have considered. I have also considered the filed authorities.
Analysis and Determination
11.Having considered the application, the Affidavits and submissions herein, the issues that arise for determination are;i.Whether the Application is res judicata, and if not,ii.Whether sufficient grounds have been demonstrated warranting interference with the Taxing Master’s decision of 14th March, 2023.
12.The substantive law on res judicata is found in Section 7 of the Civil Procedure Act, which provides that:
13.In the case of John Florence Maritime Services Limited & another vs Cabinet Secretary Transport & Infrastructure & 3 Others (Petition 17 of 2015) [2021] KESC 39 (KLR) (Civ) (6 August 2021) (Judgment), the Supreme Court delved into an in-depth discussion of the concept of res judicata thus;
14.By way of a brief background, the 1st-3rd Plaintiffs instituted this suit on 9th June, 2o2o seeking, inter-alia, for permanent injunctive orders restraining the Defendants from excavating, erecting structures, and construction of multi-dwelling apartments on L.R Dagorreti/ Riruta/3094 and 3096 (hereinafter the suit properties), as well as drilling, construction and abstraction of water and its resources thereon. The Plaintiffs also sought for a declaration that the continual excavation and construction of the property was un-procedural and irregular.
15.Vide a Notice of withdrawal dated 30th September, 2020, filed on the 7th October, 2020, the Plaintiffs withdrew the suit against the 1st and 2nd Defendants in its entirety. This withdrawal came before the matter had proceeded for hearing. The Defendants filed a Party-Party Bill of Costs dated 10th May, 2021. The same was taxed at Kshs 3,181,048.46 on the 28th October, 2021.
16.Aggrieved by this taxation, the Applicant filed a reference dated 11th November, 2021, seeking inter-alia a review of the taxation ruling in respect of the instruction fees and getting up fees. The Court found merit in the reference and remitted the aforesaid Bill of Costs to another Taxing Master for taxation. Vide a Ruling dated 14th March, 2023, the Bill of Costs was re-taxed at Kshs 952,385.
17.The Applicant is still aggrieved by the Taxing Masters’ decision of 14th March, 2023 and seeks to have this Court set aside the taxation and re-tax the bill in respect of the sum allowed as instruction fees. The Respondents assert that the present application is res judicata, the orders of remittance of the Bill of Costs dated 10th May, 2021 having been conclusively dealt with vide the ruling of 24th November, 2022 and that the application is an abuse of Court and should be dismissed.
18.As aforesaid, the doctrine of res judicata envisages sameness of the issues, parties and title/claim, concurrence of jurisdiction, and finality of the previous decision.
19.In the present circumstances, there can be no doubt that the parties are the same, litigating under the same title and in the same Court. The crux of the matter is whether there was finality of the previous decision, or simply put, whether the issues herein were conclusively dealt with in the Ruling delivered on 24th November, 2022.
20.Whereas indeed the Ruling of 24th November, 2022 dealt with a reference challenging the instruction fees, it was with respect to the decision of 28th October, 2021.The present application seeks to have the taxation of 14th March, 2023 set aside. These are two distinct decisions.
21.Further, the contention in the application of 11th November, 2021 was that the Taxing Master erred in setting out the contractual sum between the parties as the subject matter and relying on the same to calculate instruction fees. Indeed, the Court found that the Taxing Master’s identification of the subject matter was marred by an error in principle.
22.The contention herein is that the Taxing Master’s decision on instruction fees was manifestly excessive and was based on an error of principle, to wit, the failure to consider relevant factors and considering irrelevant factors. Ultimately, it is the finding of the Court that the present application is not res judicata and does not constitute an abuse process.
23.The legal parameters within which the Court can interfere with a Taxing Master’s decision are well settled. The Court of Appeal in Joreth Ltd vs Kigano & Associates Civil Appeal No. 66 of 1999 [2002] eKLR was categorical that a judge sitting on a Reference against the Taxing Master ought not to interfere with the assessment of costs unless the Taxing Master had misdirected himself on a matter of principle.
24.Similarly, the Ugandan Supreme Court in Bank of Uganda vs Banco Arabe Espanol SC Civil Application No. 23 of 1999 (Mulenga JSC) stated as follows:
25.The subject of the Applicant’s grievance is the instruction fees. He asserts that the same is manifestly high and the Taxing Master failed to consider relevant issues.
26.It is trite that instruction fees are to be determined from the value of the subject matter of a suit. It is also trite that the value of the subject matter of a suit is to be ascertained from the pleadings, judgment or settlement. Where the value of the subject matter cannot be ascertained from the pleadings, judgment or settlement, the Taxing Officer has discretion to assess the instruction fees taking into account various factors.
27.This position was affirmed by the Court of Appeal in Peter Muthoka & Another vs Ochieng & 3 others NRB CA Civil Appeal No. 328 of 2017 [2019] eKLR which expounded the principles in Joreth Ltd vs Kigano & Associates (supra) as follows:
28.In this case, it is not in dispute that the value of the subject matter could not be ascertained from the pleadings. Indeed, the Taxing Master, guided by the decision of this Court on the 24th November, 2022 stated as much. Guided by the case of Joreth Ltd vs Kigano & Associates (Supra), it is apparent the Taxing Master was entitled to use her discretion to assess instruction fee.
29.In her Ruling, the Taxing Officer stated as follows before awarding the Respondent a sum of Kshs. 900,000 as instruction fees;
30.There is no doubt from the above excerpt of the Ruling that several factors were considered before a determination was made on the appropriate instruction fees. The Court finds no fault in the factors considered. The Applicant substantially sought to protect his interests in his property and the Court does not find that the same was filed in the public interest.
31.However, it is noted that the Taxing Master did not set out the basic instructions fees before increasing the same, a pre-requisite as affirmed by the Court of Appeal in First American Bank of Kenya vs Shah & Others, 2002 VOL I E.A. 64. Similarly, the Court of Appeal of Uganda in Makula International vs Cardinal Nsubuga & Another [1982] HCB 11 held as follows:
32.This was recently re-affirmed by the Court of Appeal in University of Nairobi & another vs Moses (Civil Appeal 119 of 2020) [2022] KECA 45 (KLR) (4 February 2022) (Judgment) thus;
33.In the present case, the matter having been filed in 2020, the relevant remuneration order is the Advocates Remuneration Order (2014). The value of the subject matter having not been ascertained, the instruction fees herein is as per Schedule VI Paragraph 1 titled ‘Other Matters’ which sets the sum at Kshs 75,000/=.
34.Upon awarding Kshs. 75,000 as dictated by law, Schedule VI Paragraph 1(b)provides as follows:
35.It follows that where a suit is withdrawn, or is dealt with in a summary manner without going to full trial like in this case, the fees of Kshs. 75,000 should be reduced by 25%, bringing the instruction fees to Kshs. 56,250/=. In as far as the Taxing Officer awarded the sum of 900,000/= being a figure substantially more than the minimum fee, and did not give any reasons justifying such as an increase, the Court finds that her decision was based on an error of principle.
36.Having found that the Taxing Master committed an error of principle, this Court has the discretion to remit the Bill to the Taxing Master with appropriate direction on how it should be taxed or to proceed and tax the same. In Kipkorir Titoo & Kiara Advocates vs Deposit Protection Fund Board[2005]1KLR528 the Court stated as follows:
37.As the only disputed issue is the instruction fees, and considering that the matter has been twice before the Taxing Masters, the Court will proceed to re-tax the same.
38.The dispute herein involved construction and water abstraction activities undertaken by the Respondents on the suit property and their effects on the Applicant’s adjoining property. The Applicant was also concerned that the activities were undertaken without the requisite approvals. The matter was filed in June, 2020 and the withdrawal of the suit by the Applicant was in September, 2020. That means the matter was in Court for less than five (5) months.
39.Taking into account the foregoing factors and the fact that the basic minimum instruction fees is Kshs. 56,250/=, the Court finds that an increase of the minimum chargeable fee by Kshs 200,000 is fair and reasonable in the circumstances and will tax the instruction fees at Kshs. 256,250.
40.In conclusion, the application dated 27th March, 2023 succeeds and is allowed on the following terms;i.The Ruling of the Taxing Master delivered on 14th March, 2023 is reviewed and varied to the extent that the taxation of the item on instruction fees is set aside and in its place, the instruction fees is taxed at Kshs 256,250.ii.The other items in the bill shall remain as taxed by the Taxing Master.iii.Each party shall bear its/his own costs.
DATED, SIGNED AND DELIVERED VIRTUALLY IN NAIROBI THIS 14TH DAY OF MARCH, 2024.O. A. AngoteJudgeIn the presence of;Mr. Odago for the 3rd Plaintiff/ApplicantMr. Otieno for the 1st DefendantsCourt Assistant – Tracy