Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru on Thursday moved to court seeking a time extension to serve search engine giant Google with a subpoena.
Governor Waiguru, through her lawyers, told High Court Judge Lucy Njuguna that she needed the period given to her to serve the court papers as she needed to travel to California to do so.
The governor further explained that she needed facilitation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to enact the service orders issued on March 23, 2015.
She argued that Google Incorporated is a multinational entity whose control is outside the jurisdiction of the High Court, therefore, service of the orders was difficult.
[caption caption="Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru"]
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"In the circumstances, it is only fair that the validity of the summons is extended," Waiguru's lawyer stated.
In the suit, Waiguru is seeking compensation for defamatory infractions meted against her by Kenyan Blogger Daily Post in 2014.
She has asked the court to also hold Google Inc and its subsidiary Blogger Inc liable for the story that was published in the wake of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s sacking of the former chairman of the Youth Development Fund, Gor Semelango at a time when she was Devolution Cabinet Secretary.
Ms Waiguru further accused the search engine company of withholding identity and contact information on the owners of Daily Post. She further demanded that the host should pull down the defamatory post.
Google Kenya, who had initially been sued in the case, distanced itself explaining that it was only a subsidiary of the California-based parent company and therefore it had no authority to pull down any content or disclose details of its clients.
The firm further argued that the governor's defamation suit was against a wrong entity disguised as a constitutional petition.
The application seeking for an extension of the service period will be heard on July 10.
[caption caption="Image of the Google headquarters building in California"]
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