Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has failed in his bid to temporarily block Nation Media Group (NMG) from publishing information allegedly linking him to recent chaos in the city, claiming it is damaging his reputation.
Goons on Moi Avenue in Nairobi on June 17, 2025 during protests following the death of Kenyan blogger Albert Ojwang.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation Media Group
Instead, Justice Nixon Sifuna directed all parties to appear before him later this month for a hearing of the application.
Governor Sakaja argued that he would suffer prejudice and lasting injury if the temporary order was not granted.
“I am seeking urgent protection from this honourable court by way of injunctive reliefs to preserve the ends of justice and to prevent further harm to my person and reputation,” he said in the application.
Justice Sifuna directed the parties to file their submissions ahead of the hearing scheduled for July 24 which will take place in open court.
“In the meantime, parties are to file and exchange their skeletal arguments within seven days from today,” the judge said.
Mr Sakaja sued NMG, claiming that the use of his photograph and a headline suggesting that chaos was planned ahead of the June 17 protests implied he played a role in orchestrating the unrest.
Goons attempt to break into shop along Moi Avenue in Nairobi's CBD
He described the allegations as wild, malicious and defamatory stating that they were published with the sole intention of damaging his reputation.
He added that the publication had caused him profound emotional distress, persistent anxiety and unwarranted public humiliation particularly amplified through social media platforms.
Mr Sakaja sought restraining orders arguing that there was an “invariable risk” of continued irreparable damage to his reputation, work and public standing.
Armed goons run after demonstrators in Nairobi on June 17, 2025. The protesters were demanding justice for Albert Ojwang.
Photo credit: Evans Habil | Nation Media Group
“That unless this honourable court intervenes urgently by certifying this application as urgent in the first instance and granting temporary orders prayed for, then the invariable continuous publications will erode the dignity of not only the proceedings herein but also render the proceedings futile,” he said in an affidavit.
Goons on motorbikes pour into Nairobi CBD
The governor further stated that the reputational harm would extend to the entire Nairobi City County and by extension to all county government employees.
“There exist a significant risk that the will persist in their campaign, thereby reinforcing their false averments and entrenching malicious assertions in the public domain, leading many to believe them to be true,” he added.
Mr Sakaja maintained that he publicly condemned the violence, called for lawful investigations, and affirmed his support for the constitutional right to peaceful assembly.
“That it is clear that the allegations are politically motivated and instigated with a view to tarnishing my name and it is clearly and cleverly calculated to achieve this end,” he said.
