Linda Katiba: Activist Boniface Mwangi sues David Ndii for defamation
Ukweli Party leader Boniface Mwangi and Kenyan economist Dr David Ndii at Serena Hotel in Nairobi on November 29, 2020, where they and other leaders asked Kenyans to reject the BBI process.
Activist Boniface Mwangi has filed a defamation case against the chairperson of President's Council of Economic Advisors, David Ndii, for claiming that he was paid by William Ruto to join the Linda Katiba initiative.
Mr Mwangi filed the case at the High Court alleging that the July post by Dr Ndii, who is also President Ruto's chief economic advisor, portrays him as a hypocrite.
Dr Ndii made the remarks on his X handle on July 16, in response to another post on the funding of Linda Katiba, a campaign that opposed the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), which sought to amend the constitution through a popular initiative
"The defendant (Dr Ndii) claimed that the Plaintiff was paid to participate in the Linda Katiba initiative without any basis in truth with the clear intention to ruin his standing among his colleagues, family and the public," he said in the petition.
Mr Mwangi says the economist accuses him of hypocrisy without any reasonable justification.
In the tweet, Dr Ndii alleged that Mwangi was paid from President Ruto's campaign money to join the voluntary initiative.
In the post, Dr Ndii claimed that Linda Katiba was formed by himself and Martha Karua with Dr Ruto's support when he was the Deputy President.
"By the posting of the said tweet, the Plaintiff was identified by a large number of Twitter users and he was the subject of ridicule and scorn by a cross section of Twitter users," Mr Mwangi said.
Other than being portrayed as a hypocrite, Mr Mwangi says the post suggested that he was driven by commercial incentives and financial rewards in his efforts to defend the constitution through Linda Katiba initiative.
Mr Mwangi says they formed the initiative in November 2020, together with Ms Jerotich Seii, former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, former Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana, Wanjeri Nderu and Martha Karua, among others.
He says the movement instituted a challenge to the BBI process that sought to mutilate the constitution through unconstitutional amendments.
"This campaign was tremendously successful, with the proposed amendments being declared unconstitutional by the High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court," he said.
The Defendant’s statements were actuated with falsehood and malicious intent which caused injury to the reputation and standing of the Plaintiff, documents state.
Mr Mwangi added that said Dr Ndii’s post amounts to serious libel and has caused him grave irreparable harm, distress and embarrassment among his family, friends, acquaintances, his peers and the community at large.
