The National Court has refused leave for judicial review in a case challenging major Local Level Government (LLG) and ward boundary reforms in the Nipa Kutubu District of Southern Highlands Province, effectively clearing the way for the restructuring to proceed.
The proceedings, Damien Tegi v. William T. Powi & Ors (O.S. (JR) No. 20 of 2026), sought to contest the legality of a National Executive Council (NEC) decision that abolished the former Nipa Basin Rural LLG and established three new LLGs in its place.
The applicant, Damien Tegi, argued against the reforms, which also include an increase in Council Wards from 17 to 27, claiming the decision process required further legal scrutiny.
However, in a ruling delivered on 3 June 2026, the National Court dismissed the application at the leave stage, meaning the case will not proceed to a full judicial review hearing.
The Court’s decision effectively affirms the administrative actions undertaken by the Southern Highlands Provincial Government and later endorsed by the NEC.
As part of the ruling, the Court ordered the plaintiff to pay fixed costs of K500 to the Solicitor-General’s Trust Account within 30 days.
The decision brings legal finality, for now, to the dispute surrounding the restructuring of LLGs and ward boundaries in Nipa Kutubu, allowing the government’s administrative reforms to remain in effect.