Court dismisses Raila's application to be enjoined in Mumias Sugar lease case 

The High Court in Nairobi has dismissed application by Raila Odinga and Fernandes Barasa seeking to be enjoined in Mumias Sugar Company lease case. 

Justice Wilfrida Okwany said their involvement in the case was unnecessary. The two were seeking to be enjoined after they were mentioned in a contempt of court case against Sarrai Group.

The petitioner's lawyer Jackline Kimeto had accused Mr Barasa, who is vying for Kakamega governor seat, of authoring a series of derogatory messages after the court stopped Sarrai Group from operating in Mumias Sugar Company.

“On the same date that the court order was issued, a politician by the name Fernandes Barasa published a series of tweets about the court order dated July 28, 2022. After the publication of an article by a local newspaper, he stated that ‘as Azimio, we will announce the next cause of action after deliberation’. 

“In other tweets published on August 3, 2022, Mr Barasa also stated that the machines in Mumias would roll back to life by Wednesday August 10, 2022. He also uttered derogatory sentiments alleging that creditors agitating for their rights were ‘loitering in our courts to frustrate the revival of Mumias Sugar Company’,” the lawyer noted in a court document. 

The lawyer further stated that Mr Odinga visited Mumias Sugar Company and being taken around by Sarrai Group personnel despite a court order barring the Uganda-based company from stepping into the sugar miller’s premises. 

Mr Odinga and Mr Barasa were represented by James Orengo's and Jared Sala's law firms respectively in applying for enjoinment on Thursday. 

Sarrai Group and Gakwamba Farmers have filed preliminary objections to the application. The court further directed the parties to file responses to the same. The matter will be mention on September 7, 2022 for further directions.