Homa Bay Town Member of Parliament, Peter Kaluma, has won a defamation lawsuit against The Standard Group, with the High Court ordering the media house to pay him Ksh 11 million in damages.
The ruling concludes a case filed in 2018 concerning a “false and defamatory” article published in their tabloid, The Nairobian, which the MP argued made salacious allegations involving him and his family.
The Ksh 11 million award, which is to be paid alongside court costs and interest, was divided into two main components:
- Ksh 10 million: Awarded for the infringement of the privacy rights of the MP’s two children, who were included in the offending publication. The court noted that this award was sufficient in light of the privacy violation experienced by each child.
- Ksh 1 million: Awarded as exemplary damages due to the Standard Group’s refusal to issue an apology when demanded by the MP, which the court determined was an act of “grandstanding” and improper conduct.
Following the judgment, Kaluma took to social media to celebrate his win. However, despite the substantial payout, the lawmaker stated his intention to appeal the ruling, seeking to have the amount increased to a level he believes is “commensurate with the damage done to my reputation and my family.”
“The Nairobian, a tabloid of The Standard, wrote a false and defamatory article referring to me and my family. The High Court has ordered Standard to pay me Ksh 11,000,000 plus costs and interests for defamation in their Nairobian newspaper. I will appeal to have the amount increased to a level commensurate with the damage done to my reputation and my family by the publication.”
The MP also announced his plan to file another lawsuit against the media house for the continued publication of the defamatory article. He further committed to donating the final compensation amount to a charity of his choice once the funds are received.
