Nairobi governor, Johnson Sakaja has filed defamation lawsuit against an independent consultant and human rights activist Jerotich Seii and the Standard Media Group.
In Court documents seen by The Kenya Times, Sakaja is seeking compensation of Ksh 100 million for remarks made by the Jerotich during an interview on Spice FM’s The Situation Room. Spice FM is owned by the Standard Group.
“A declaration that the defendants are both severally and jointly liable to pay the plaintiff the general Damages for libel and slander of Ksh 100,000,000/ for defaming him,” read part of the suit.
Through his lawyers, the governor also wants the defendants to pay for the aggravated damages for libel and slander and also costs of the suit.
Sakaja in the suit said that on January 26, Jerotich Seii, while appearing as a guest on the program, insinuated that he was involved in collusion with real estate developers to construct high-rise buildings exceeding legally allowed heights.
“During the said show, the 1st Defendant herein changed the platform to a one-sided bashing party as she went on a trajectory of vitriol, defamatory slander of extreme nature as against the Plaintiff and indeed spewed a lot of untrue, unsubstantiated and malicious and defamatory words,” read part of the court document.
According to the suit, the Programme hosts Eric Latiff, Ndu Okoh and Charles T Muga “never made an attempt to stop the 1st Defendant from continuing to use the platform provided to perpetrate the slander that she had delved into.”
“Neither did they even try to reach out to the plaintiff to inform him of the wild unsubstantiated allegations as against his person and as such in the least at least get his rejoinder or side of the story.”
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Jerotich Seii’s Comments on Sakaja
Sakaja claims that her statements meant that he breached the physical planning Act and all procedures leading to approvals being issued to which the said approvals and permits were issued to the Chinese Property Development Association.
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Additionally, the Governor, through his legal representatives, asserted that the comments depicted him unfavorably, suggesting he is a self-serving leader who neglects his constituents’ welfare.”
“She alluded to the fact that the Governor had “gotten to bed” with the Chinese Property Developers and thus neglected the voters who have elected him to his office, to add salt to the injury she vehemently stated that the Governor Johnson Sakaja had left the groups whatsapp in order to avoid accountability,” the lawsuit further read.
Nairobi Governor Seeks Orders
The suit seeks an order compelling the defendants to withdraw and retract the said publication and further to issue an unqualified, unequivocal written apology to the Plaintiff within seven (7) days from the date of judgment.
“A permanent injunction prohibiting the Defendants, their employees’ servants and/or agents from publishing or uttering in any manner whatsoever, any defamatory stories about the plaintiffs and the subject matter of this petition,” Sakaja said through his lawyers.
