Defamation lawsuit against Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wah postponed

The hearing of the defamation lawsuit against Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wah was postponed on Monday to give both parties time to prepare and serve their replies.

The case was filed by city attorney Danstan Omari, who is seeking Sh11 million in damages from Ichung’wah for allegedly defaming him on Twitter. Omari claims that Ichung’wah’s tweet, which said that he was well-known on the notorious Koinange Street, has caused him both general and aggravated damages.

Ichung’wah’s lawyers filed a defense and a counterclaim on Monday morning, and the court ordered that both parties have until July 5 to comply with its orders.

At the hearing, Omari’s lawyer told the court that Ichung’wah had not yet responded to their motion. However, Ichung’wah’s lawyers said that they had filed their response and counterclaim on Monday morning.

The court ordered that Ichung’wah have seven days to submit his response to the application, and Omari have three days to provide an additional affidavit.

The case is scheduled to be heard again on July 5.

Omari had previously sent a letter of demand to Ichung’wah, giving him seven days to recant and apologize for the tweet. However, Ichung’wah refused to do so.

The tweet in question was posted in April, and it quickly went viral. In the tweet, Ichung’wah said that Omari was well-known on Koinange Street, which is a notorious red-light district in Nairobi.

Omari has said that the tweet has caused him significant damage to his reputation and has also led to him being harassed and threatened. He is seeking Sh11 million in damages to compensate him for these losses.

Ichung’wah has denied defaming Omari and has said that his tweet was protected by freedom of speech. He has also said that he is prepared to defend himself in court.

The case is still ongoing, and it remains to be seen whether Ichung’wah will be found liable for defaming Omari.