Nairobi — Kenya's First Lady, Lucy Kibaki, has again conducted herself in a disturbing manner by laying siege at a newspaper office in Nairobi.

The first lady, who once in a while attracts attention by her dramatic actions, on Monday night protested against the media's highlighting her attempts to have the country's outgoing World Bank country director, Makhtar Diop, arrested.

Mrs Kibaki stormed the offices of the Nation Newspapers in Nairobi, demanding the arrest of the reporter and the editor who filed the story of her visit to a Nairobi police station three hours earlier, where she had reportedly recorded a statement over an incident that took place on Friday night at Mr Diop's residence. Police sources said Mrs Kibaki claimed that Mr Diop had 'disrupted her peace' on Friday night by playing loud music at his farewell party.

Mr Diop was, until Sunday, a tenant of the Kibakis in the plush Muthaiga suburb of Nairobi. He moved into the house in 2003 when the Kibakis moved to State House. However, the First Family built another house in an adjacent plot, where Mrs Kibaki sometimes stays.

Things came to a head on Friday night when Mrs Kibaki stormed Mr Diop's farewell party at around midnight, demanding that all music equipment be shut off and that everyone goes home.

Mrs Kibaki, who was wearing what seemed to be blue pyjamas, and accompanied by a phalanx of security men, engaged Mr Diop and his wife in an angry exchange; at one time, she even told Mr Diop that no man in Kenya has dared talk back to her.

Although Mr Diop tried to assure her that he had received permission from State House to continue with the party, Mrs Kibaki did not relent.

Even her children, Judy and David, could not calm her down. The partygoers, who included top diplomats, NGO staff and members of Kenya's entertainment industry, watched in amazement as Mrs Kibaki started unplugging music equipment, telling them: "This is Muthaiga, not Korogocho."

Korogocho is one of Nairobi's biggest slums. Mrs Kibaki visited the residence thrice, but was barred from entering the premises on her last visit by security men.

Mrs Kibaki visited the local police station at 8pm on Monday evening to demand Mr Diop's arrest, even though he had been scheduled to leave the country on Sunday night. It is doubtful if he would have been arrested, as Mr Diop enjoys diplomatic immunity.

At 11:20pm the same night, Mrs Kibaki arrived at the Nation Centre, the building that houses the Nation Media Group, in the company of her security detail. She went straight to the newsroom, where she ordered her security to confiscate notebooks, pens, cameras and tape recorders from journalists who were following her protests.

She ordered her security to make sure that not one leaves the newsroom, especially the late night reporters. She demanded the arrest of the reporter and editor who had filed the yet-to-be-published report of her visit to the police station, and threatened to call her lawyer. "I am not leaving this place until I get the person who said I was at Muthaiga Police Station... I also want my lawyer," she told her security at 12.45 pm.

"I am here demanding the truth and exercising my rights," she told Nairobi Provincial Police Officer King'ori Mwangi, who was trying to persuade her to leave the Nation Centre. At one point, she slapped a cameraman from a local television station who had been recording the proceedings. Attempts by Mwangi to show her a statement from the police spokesman denying the story of her visit were rebuffed, when she termed the statement as 'inadequate', and insisted that the reporter be arrested. At one point, Mrs Kibaki declared: "I speak for the voiceless!" And speaking about newspapers, she said: "I don't buy newspapers, I read after others have read."

At one point she expressed her regret: "This a very backward job, now you have a very juicy news," she said. Then she broke into laughter. "You are writing and showing lies about me. Why don't you show Kenyans the other side?" she asked. At 1.10 am, she confronted the Photographic Editor Antony Kaminju and asked: "What are you doing? Are you recording all what I am doing here?"

When she was informed that he was only trying to access the internet, she said: "I know what the internet is, you fool!" then she walked away.

Then she added: "They even reported that I went to the police station wearing shorts. What is wrong with the First Lady wearing shorts? You will become a laughing stock of the world."

And facing photographers present she said: "Yes, I was wearing shorts. Why don't you now take pictures and air them on your TV if you think the First Lady wearing shorts or trousers is news? I also wear skirts, and bikinis when I am swimming!"

Then the First Lady declared at 1.20 am that she was going on a hunger strike at Nation Centre. Five minutes later, she ordered her security to go and fetch food for her from State House. She later called and ordered breakfast.