Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has failed in his attempt to obtain temporary orders barring Nation Media Group (NMG) from publishing content allegedly linking him to recent unrest in the capital.
Justice Nixon Sifuna declined to issue the interim injunction, instead directing all involved parties to appear before him later this month for a full hearing of the case.
The judge further instructed: “In the meantime, parties are to file and exchange their skeletal arguments within seven days from today.” The hearing is scheduled for 24 July.
Mr. Sakaja had argued that unless the court intervened urgently, he would suffer significant personal and professional harm. “I am seeking urgent protection from this honourable court by way of injunctive reliefs to preserve the ends of justice and to prevent further harm to my person and reputation,” he said in his application.
He is suing NMG over the use of his image and a headline that allegedly implied he played a role in planning chaos ahead of the 17 June protests. The governor described the publication as defamatory and damaging to his public image.
According to Mr. Sakaja, the story caused him “profound emotional distress, persistent anxiety, and unwarranted public humiliation, particularly amplified through social media platforms.”
He argued that without immediate court intervention, the coverage would continue to inflict “irreparable damage to his reputation, work, and public standing.”
“That unless this honourable court intervenes urgently by certifying this application as urgent in the first instance and granting the temporary orders prayed for, the invariable continuous publications will erode the dignity of not only the proceedings herein but also render the proceedings futile,” Mr. Sakaja stated.
He further submitted that the alleged reputational harm extended beyond himself to Nairobi County as a whole, including its employees.
“There exists a significant risk that they will persist in their campaign, thereby reinforcing their false averments and entrenching malicious assertions in the public domain, leading many to believe them to be true,” he added.
Mr. Sakaja also maintained that he had condemned the violence, expressed support for lawful investigations, and reaffirmed his backing of peaceful protests. He told the court the “allegations are politically motivated and instigated with a view to tarnishing my name.”
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