Legal Action Against Bloggers for Alleged Defamation
Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera has taken a firm stance against three bloggers based in Kakamega, demanding KSh 20 million in damages for what he claims is defamatory content. The MP alleges that the bloggers linked his name to the disappearance of a school principal, which has led to a legal demand issued through his lawyer, Danstan Omari.
The situation began when Simon Isiaho, the principal of Munyuki PAG Secondary School, went missing after being injured in a road accident. According to reports, Isiaho disappeared after the incident, and the bloggers are accused of publishing false information that implicates Nabwera in the accident and subsequent disappearance.
Through the law firm of Danstan Omari Associates and Advocates, Nabwera has sent a strongly worded demand letter to the bloggers, who are reportedly associated with websites such as Malava Online and Kakamega Post. The letter states that the bloggers made incorrect and injurious publications, suggesting that the MP was involved in orchestrating the accident and overseeing the principal’s disappearance.
Omari defended Nabwera, emphasizing that the MP is one of the best-performing elected leaders. He claimed that the bloggers’ statements were false and intended to tarnish the MP’s reputation. “Our client, an exceptionally performing Member of Parliament for Lugari Constituency, is unequivocal that the statements by yourself are false, inaccurate, and ill-intended to taint his otherwise shining name and record in the constituency,” Omari stated.
Nabwera has given the bloggers 12 hours to issue an apology and retract the posts or face court action. If they fail to comply, the MP plans to seek more than KSh 20 million in compensation for damages. The demand letter emphasizes that the bloggers must offer an unequivocal apology on all platforms where the statements were published.
Omari also highlighted that his client was a close friend of the missing principal. He pointed out that Nabwera ensures the equal distribution of constituency resources among his constituents and the schools and other social establishments. The lawyer insists that the bloggers’ statements are unfounded and have besmirched the MP’s outstanding reputation.
The demand includes a call for the bloggers to remove and erase the defamatory statements from their blog sites and all other platforms. Omari warned that failure to comply with the demands within the stipulated timelines will result in legal proceedings to restore the MP’s tarnished reputation and allow him to seek lawful redress.
Omari linked the smear campaign against Nabwera to the recent Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) grassroots elections, where the MP was elected as the Kakamega chairman. He emphasized that Nabwera ensures that all schools receive qualified Constituency Development Funds (CDF) equally. “My client’s reputation is beyond reproach. We are demanding these demands be complied with within 12 hours. Otherwise, on Monday we are moving to court to clear his name,” the lawyer insisted.
Isiaho went missing in the early hours of Monday, November 3, en route to the examination headquarters to collect KCSE papers. Kemboi, KESHA chairman in Kakamega County, told footcare.co.ke that Isiaho left home around 5:30 a.m. and drove to Turbo to refuel before proceeding to pick up the papers. However, his vehicle was involved in a crash at the notorious Muge black spot near Omega, close to the Lumakanda bus parking bay on the busy Eldoret-Malaba Highway. Residents who discovered the scene said the car showed signs of involvement in an accident, yet there was no sign of the driver.