The Nation (Nairobi)
27 October 2009
Nairobi — Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta's defamatory case against a media house will come up for hearing next month.
Mr Kenyatta has sued Standard Newspapers for allegedly publishing defamatory and false allegations against him.
The minister, who said articles published in the Standard one week ago disparaged him, moved to court under a certificate of urgency seeking orders barring the newspaper from republishing similar allegations against him.
High Court Judge Justice Hatari Waweru extended orders barring the Standard from publishing articles on the minister. He also directed the two parties to file and exchange written submissions before the hearing on November 16.
The case was certified urgent by Lady Justice Kalpana Rawal.
Credibility
In the suit, Mr Kenyatta, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister, says the newspaper published articles on October 4 and two days later linking him with corruption.
The articles, he says in a sworn statement, threatens to damage and ruin his career, credibility and integrity.
An award of damage alone cannot be an adequate remedy to protect his reputation, he adds.
Mr Kenyatta says the articles, including a cartoon, were published while he was attending a meeting in Turkey in his capacity as Finance minister.
He accuses the newspaper of publishing the stories without seeking his side of the story or even to confirm the veracity of the allegations.
"The publications undermine my ability to discharge my duties in the Cabinet as the minister for Finance and deputy Prime Minister," he says.
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