Nairobi — A Nairobi court has ordered Nation Media Group's NTV and investigative reporter Duncan Khaemba to retract a May 7 report linking Murang'a Governor Irungu Kang'ata to an airline compensation fraud, finding the outlet and journalist in contempt for violating a restraining order.
The ruling by Principal Magistrate Hosea Ng'ang'a at Milimani Commercial Court follows a case filed by Kang'ata, who accused NTV of airing a documentary that purportedly linked him to the compensation claims for families affected by the March 2019 Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash, in which 157 people died.
Kang'ata argued he was not given a fair right of reply before the broadcast.
The contested story, an instalment of NTV Investigates, relied heavily on claims from four whistleblowers--former associates or staffers of Kang'ata during his tenure as Murang'a Senator--who alleged he had improperly influenced a petition filed in the Senate in 2019.
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The documentary raised questions about whether a fictitious petition had been submitted, how eight parliamentary staff were allegedly listed as next of kin of crash victims, and whether signatures on the petition had been forged.
Kenyan lawyers
Former staffers Davis Muru Karanja and Peter Ng'ang'a Mudubi told NTV they had not lost relatives in the crash and were unaware their names appeared on the petition.
The documentary retraced the events of the 2019 tragedy, explored the legal framework for Boeing compensation, and scrutinized the role of Kenyan lawyers collaborating with an American law firm handling related claims in Illinois.
It also questioned the Senate committee's handling of the petition and flagged contradictions about the petitioners' appearances before the committee and an unexplained trip to Seattle by involved senators.
The court ruling highlighted that NTV's May broadcast depicted footage of Kang'ata and associated him with fraudulent compensation claims despite a restraining order issued on May 7, 2025, which barred NTV and its journalists from airing content related to interviews conducted on February 25, 2025, in Murang'a County concerning the Ethiopian Airlines crash.
"This contempt order underscores that while investigative journalism is vital, court orders are legally binding and must be respected," Magistrate Ng'ang'a stated.
The judgment directs NTV and Khaemba to publish and broadcast a full retraction and apology within fourteen days across all platforms where the May 7 content appeared.
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Failure to comply will trigger a notice to show cause as to why further penalties, including civil imprisonment, should not be imposed.
The court also awarded costs of the application to Kang'ata.
