Changiwa v Omwera & 3 others (Environment and Land Appeal E080 of 2025) [2025] KEELC 7440 (KLR)
The bottom line
#The Environment and Land Court in Kakamega paused collection of a Kshs. 300,000 judgment, but only because the appellant agreed to deposit that full amount in court as security.
What this practically means
#Executive summary
#Questions the Court framed
#The issues the Court set itself to decide, in its own words.
- 1.Whether the applicant has met the threshold for grant of orders of stay of execution pending appeal
Key legal issues
#Whether the threshold for stay of execution pending appeal under Order 42 Rule 6 was met
Stay granted conditional on the applicant depositing the decretal sum of Kshs. 300,000/= in court within 30 days
The applicant showed substantial loss arising from the 1st respondent's unknown financial means and possible inability to refund the Kshs. 300,000/= decretal sum if the appeal succeeded. The 1st respondent did not dispute this allegation through a replying affidavit. The court held that this apprehension could adequately be addressed by conditioning the stay on deposit of the decretal sum as security, satisfying the requirements of Order 42 Rule 6.
Legal principles established
#- An applicant for stay pending appeal must demonstrate substantial loss, absence of unreasonable delay, and willingness to provide security for due performance of the decree
- An applicant's apprehension about the decree-holder's ability to refund a decretal sum can be addressed by an order for provision of security
Court orders
#- 1.Stay of execution of the decree issued in Kakamega MC ELC No. 512 of 2018 dated 14th August 2025, to the extent that the appellant was ordered to pay the 1st respondent Kshs. 300,000/= with interest, pending the hearing and determination of the appeal
- 2.The appellant to deposit in court Kshs. 300,000/= as security within 30 days of the ruling, in default of which the stay orders shall stand vacated
The bench
#One judgment of the whole court — no separate or dissenting opinions.
Wrote the judgment
- On appeal from
- Magistrates' Court (Kakamega MC ELC Case No. E512 of 2018)
- E512 OF 2018
- Jurisdiction invoked
- Order 42 Rule 6 of the Civil Procedure Rules (stay of execution pending appeal)
Quotable passages
#Verbatim from the judgment, each located to the page it appears on in the official PDF — so these can be cited and checked directly.
That this honourable court hereby issues an order staying execution of the decree issued in Kakamega MC ELC NO. 512 of 2018 dated 14th August 2025 to the extent that the trial court ordered the appellant to pay the 1st respondent a sum of Kshs. 300, 000/= with interest; pending the hearing and determination of this appeal.
The appellant shall, in 30 days of this ruling, deposit in court, a sum of Kshs. 300, 000/= being security for the due performance of the decree that may issue against him. In default, the orders of stay granted herein above shall stand vacated.
Substantial loss does not represent any particular mathematical formula. Rather, it is a qualitative concept. It refers to any loss, great or small, that is of real worth or value as distinguished from a loss without value or a loss that is merely nominal.
Issues in the judgment
#Lower court case number appears inconsistently as 'E512 OF 2018' and 'NO. 512 of 2018' in the judgment
Recurring typographical errors: 'sufier' for 'suffer', 'afidavit' for 'affidavit', 'latches' for 'laches', 'extend' spelled 'to the extend'
Key timeline
#Practical implications
#Frequently asked questions
#Cite this brief
#Cite this brief
Caselaw, "Changiwa v Omwera & 3 others (Environment and Land Appeal E080 of 2025) [2025] KEELC 7440 (KLR)", Case Analysis (2025). Notice of motion dated 15th September 2025 (appeal from Kakamega MC ELC Case No. E512 of 2018). Source: https://new.kenyalaw.org/akn/ke/judgment/keelc/2025/7440/eng@2025-10-29
Suggested citation format for research notes or client memos. Always verify the original judgment before relying on any point.