Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire on Wednesday, April 3, issued a letter demanding Ksh200 million in damages over an alleged defamatory publication by a local daily.
Mbarire while making the demand, accused the media company of allegedly linking her to a Ksh2 billion land row alongside a fellow governor.
The governor has issued a statement through her lawyer, vehemently denying the allegations made against her. The lawyer described the allegations as false and malicious, and also criticized the headline used by the publication as misleading.
The governor's legal team pointed out that the media house failed to provide any evidence linking Mbarire to the alleged land dispute, despite using her image in the publication.
Mbarire's lawyers further noted the widely disseminated storyline was published with the sole aim of tainting the reputation of the governor.
"In your obsessive struggle to drag our client into your headlines, you traded the cardinal tenets of journalism, for melodramatic and sensational descriptions, without the slightest regard for our client's reputation," read part of the notice.
Besides demanding Ksh200 million in compensation, the governor also asked for an apology in print, through social media or any platform where the alleged defamatory statements and images were shared.
“Take notice that our instructions are to demand, immediate retraction, of all false and defamatory statements, innuendos, and images published by yourselves, in all print, online, social media or any platform whatsoever,” read part of the notice.
Mbarire further called for a commitment from the media company to permanently desist from further publication of any defamatory information attacking the governor.
According to Mbarire’s lawyers, failure to comply with the terms of the above demands within the next seven days would attract legal action.
"The foregoing acts constitute a severe infringement of our clients' rights enshrined under the Constitution.
"Where a violation of rights is established as is the case herein, the victim is entitled to an avalanche of legal remedies, among them compensation like general damages," the lawyers noted.
