Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire has demanded an apology and KES 200 million in damages from the Nation Media Group, accusing the media house of defamation and character assassination in a recent report linking her to a Ksh 2 billion land dispute in Nairobi.
In a strongly-worded demand letter, Mbarire’s lawyer, Adrian Kamotho, said the report published in the Sunday Nation on March 31, 2024, falsely portrayed the governor as being “caught up in a Sh2bn land row” with Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja.
The report, titled “Two Governors Caught Up in Sh2bn Land Row,” prominently featured Mbarire’s image on the front page and was also published on the Nation’s website and social media platforms.
“Beneath the online edition, you luminously inscribed a caption below the headline, reading as follows: ‘Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire are tussling over prime land in Nairobi that has been the subject of a 16-year-old court battle,'” the letter states. “Manifestly, the publication was understood and indeed meant that our client is actively involved in a vicious battle with Governor Sakaja, over some prime land in Nairobi.”
However, Kamotho argues that the report’s content contradicts the sensational headline and caption, with Mbarire’s involvement mentioned only briefly in six out of 79 paragraphs. The lawyer asserts that the report does not substantiate the claim that Mbarire is embroiled in a land dispute with Sakaja.
“Our client is law-abiding, a paragon of integrity, and is not party to any land row as falsely ascribed by yourselves,” the letter states.
Kamotho accuses the Nation Media Group of trading “the cardinal tenets of journalism for melodramatic and sensational descriptions, without the slightest regard for our client’s reputation,” and demands an immediate retraction, a public apology, a commitment to cease further defamation, and Ksh 200 million in damages.
The demand letter cites provisions of the Defamation Act and Article 33 of the Constitution, which protects the rights and reputation of individuals while exercising freedom of expression.
Mbarire, who chairs the ruling United Democratic Alliance party, has served as an assistant minister and a member of parliament for four consecutive terms since 2002. Her lawyer argues that the report has “gravely tarnished” her hard-earned reputation and lowered her esteem among colleagues, constituents, and the public.
