Kiambu MCA sues Facebook page administrator for defamation

Kiambu County Assembly Representative Karungo wa Thang’wa has sued the administrator of a popular social media page, Dead Beat Kenya, for defamation.

Mr Thang’wa has lodged a suit in the Chief Magistrate’s Court seeking to have Jackson Njeru compelled to compensate him financially after a lady he has identified as Jacqueline Mwende allegedly posted an update on Jackson Njeru’s page, accusing him of neglecting his illegitimate child.

The County Representative also wants Mr Njeru restrained from publishing anything about him on the page. He has said through his lawyer Ndegwa Njiru that the post has exposed him to ridicule and has insinuated that he is unfit to serve as a public official.

“I am a leader of substantial repute and the malicious allegations of the respondents continue to cause me loss of reputation and irreparable harm to my character. Despite a demand for a public apology and a retraction of the offending Facebook post, the respondents have declined to furnish the same,” said Mr Thang’wa.

He added that Ms Mwende proceeded to post an offending update on his official Facebook page, asking him to join the Dead Beat Kenya page because she had mentioned him as a non-supportive parent to her 11 year old child.

Mr Thang’wa has also asked the Court to compel Mr Njeru to pull down the page, and to issue an apology to him. He has further enjoined Ms Mwende for being the original author of the post.

The page, created on September 6, has caused a storm on social media in the last few weeks.