Plastics firm to pay lawyer Sh18m after suit dismissed

A Nairobi-based manufacturer will have to pay Sh18 million to a lawyer who represented his company in a Sh2 billion compensation suit against the State following the ban on single-use plastic bags.

Milimani chief magistrate Liz Gicheha dismissed the plea by Mr Mahesh Harakchand Dodhia to block the payment, saying his application was not merited.

The businessman claimed that he was not served with the court documents and the lawyer, Eddy Nicholas Orinda, should have pursued the amount with Hi-Plast Ltd and not him.

He also argued that Mr Orinda should have filed a bill of costs because the amount he demanded was being disputed.

But the magistrate ruled that Mr Dodhia entered the agreement with the lawyer in his personal capacity and cannot turn around and shift the blame to the company.

“In this case, the parties willingly entered into the agreement. The fees were agreed at Sh18 million and thus, it was not necessary for a bill of costs to be filed for taxation because the amount was already agreed upon,” the magistrate ruled.