Court allows media to cover Joseph Lekuton defamation case

Former Laisamis MP Joseph Lekuton. A Meru High Court has declined a request to bar the media from covering a case where he is accused insulting a female politician. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Mr Justice Alfred Mabeya ruled that gagging the media was an affront to freedom of information.
  • Lawyer Julius Njoroge told the court that some people were already discussing the case on social media.

A Meru High Court on Thursday declined a request to bar the media from covering a case where former Laisamis MP Joseph Lekuton is accused insulting a female politician.

Mr Lekuton has been accused of referring to former nominated Member of Marsabit County Assembly Zamzam Hussein Aligela as a prostitute.

Mr Justice Alfred Mabeya ruled that gagging the media was an affront to freedom of information.

Lawyer Julius Njoroge, who was representing the former legislator, told the court that some people were already discussing the case on social media.

DAMAGING REPORTS

Mr Mabeya said that the lawyer had not demonstrated that there were damaging reports written about the case either on social media or mainstream media.

Mr Njoroge had earlier guided two defence witnesses, among them a traditional dancer, to trash Ms Aligela’s allegations.

The witnesses, who claimed that they did not understand Swahili, were guided by a Samburu translator.

Ms Ntaramatwa Orbora testifies in a Meru High court on February 14, 2019 during the hearing of a case where former Marsabit nominated MCA Zamzam Hussein Aligela has accused former Laisamis MP Joseph Lekuton of defaming her. PHOTO | CHARLES WANYORO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Ms Amina Mohammed and Ms Ntaramatwa Orbora claimed that it was Ms Aligela who had called the former MP a prostitute.

The former ward rep claimed that, while in the company of other women in Laisamis town on May 16, 2015, Mr Lekuton referred to her as a prostitute.

FINISH HER

The former legislator is said to have asked in Samburu…Inyoo eesita ana malayi tene. (what is this prostitute doing here?).

Ms Aligela claimed that she was insulted during a function attended by the then Marsabit Governor Ukur Yatani (now Labour Cabinet Secretary), Senator Godana Hargura and several MCAs among other guests.

She claimed that Mr Lekuton later referred to her as a prostitute and even promised to finish her.

The former MCA said that she was surprised by Mr Lekuton’s utterances since they had a good working relationship.

Ms Aligela said that she filed a civil suit on November 9, 2015 after the police failed to take action against the former MP despite reporting the matter at Laisamis Police Station.

The case will be heard on May 14, 2019.