A Nairobi lawyer has been awarded Sh114,616 after a court found that a three-piece suit he had taken to a dry cleaner was damaged while in the company’s custody.
Emmanuel Mumia sued Lorenzo Dry Cleaners Limited after discovering dark patches and loose threads on his navy three-piece suit following its return from the cleaner. Mumia had sought £1,064.95, which he pleaded was equivalent to Sh183,826.66, as the value of the suit.
However, in his judgment, Milimani Small Claims Court adjudicator J.M. Kiliku found that Mumia had proved his case on a balance of probabilities but had not established the value of all the items for which he was seeking compensation.
The suit was delivered to Lorenzo Dry Cleaners on March 16, 2026, and returned to Mumia’s home on March 23. According to the court, the company’s intake record only described the garments as having “ordinary dirt and lint” and made no reference to discoloration or other damage.
Mumia told the court that he later discovered three dark patches on the jacket and loose threads on its right sleeve. He said he had not worn the suit after it was returned and that the dry-cleaning tags were still attached when he noticed the damage.
His wife reported the problem to Lorenzo Dry Cleaners through WhatsApp. The company subsequently apologized, collected the jacket and indicated that it was “trying to work on it” before eventually declining to compensate Mumia.
The court found the company’s response relevant to the dispute, although the judge stressed that the apology and subsequent conduct did not, on their own, amount to an admission that the company had caused the damage. The court also noted that the dry cleaner had not produced technical evidence showing that the discoloration resulted from a defect in the fabric or occurred after the suit had left its custody.
After considering the evidence, the court concluded that it was more likely than not that the damage occurred while the suit was in Lorenzo Dry Cleaners’ custody. Lorenzo Dry Cleaners had argued that its terms and conditions required customers to report complaints within 24 hours of delivery.
The court accepted that the terms formed part of the agreement between the parties, noting that they had been sent to Mumia at the time of the transaction. However, the judge found that the clause relating to discoloration only protected the company where the damage resulted from the properties of the fabric or a hidden defect.
Since Lorenzo Dry Cleaners had not proved either explanation, the court held that it could not rely on the clause to avoid liability. The court further found that the 24-hour reporting requirement did not, by itself, establish when the damage occurred. It therefore did not absolve the company from responsibility after the court had found that the damage occurred while the suit was in its custody.
Lorenzo Dry Cleaners was ordered to pay interest on the Sh114,616.36 at 12 per cent per annum, running from July 13, 2026—the date Mumia formally demanded compensation—until payment is made in full.
The company was also ordered to pay Sh20,000 in legal costs.
