Court gives MP Kimani Ichung’wa 15 days to respond in defamation case by advocate Omari

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Lawyer Danstan Omari addressing the media outside Milimani Law Courts at a past date.PHOTO/Suek

Kikuyu Member of Parliament Kimani Ichung’wa has been ordered to file his response within 15 days in the defamation case filed against him by advocate Danstan Omari.

Milimani Commercial court directed that should Ichung’wa fail to enter an appearance within the stipulated time, then the plaintiff may proceed with the case and the judgement may be given in his absence.

In the case, Omari accuses the MP of calling him an immoral person who keeps the company of prostitutes.

The advocate wants the court to issue orders restraining the MP, his agents, servants or anyone acting on his behalf from writing, producing, broadcasting or republishing defamatory information on any medium and in any manner whatsoever about him.

The court heard that on 1st February 2023, Omari appeared on NTV’s morning show AM Live as a commentator on various matters of public importance and concern among them politics, law and governance in Kenya.

According to Omari, NTV posted a segment of the video on twitter where he said among other things, “Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga are two serious international figures, and that President Ruto is a local president and the likes of Ichung’wa are only known up to Kikuyu Constituency”.

On the same day, Kimani Ichung’wa posted on his twitter in reply to the said video saying, “Phew! At least am known in Kikuyu by my people unlike the fake media based liar only known along Koinange Street”.

According to Omari, the MP falsely and maliciously wrote and posted the said offensive tweet which was defamatory by way of innuendo, intending to paint a false picture that he is an immoral person who keeps the company of prostitutes.

“The plaintiff stands to suffer substantial loss if the orders he is seeking are not granted” Omari said in his application.

It is his submission that the scale of justice tilts heavily in favour of the grant of injunctive orders to afford him an opportunity to ventilate his grievances in court.