Narok and Kajiado counties. He claimed Lenku had used 75 General Service Unit (GSU) officers to invade Nguruman farm, which he said is part owned by Kenyans of European descent.

The allegations prompted Lenku to demand that he retracts the offensive tweets that suggested he “doesn’t understand and/or respect the rule of law” and that he is “misusing police for personal gain”.

Through his lawyer Donald Kipkorir, the CS also lodged a criminal complaint against Ahmednasir with recommendations that he be arrested and charged for misuse of social media. The demand letter is copied to the Inspector General of Police, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Solicitor General and director of criminal investigations.

Mr Kipkorir wrote: “The main objective of the said publication was to injure the credit, character and reputation of our client and force him to resign or be forced to resign from his Cabinet position.”

Lenku demanded an apology, retraction and admission of liability within 24 hours.

But Ahmednasir responded swiftly in a one-page letter, dismissing Lenku’s demands as “utter nonsense” and suggesting he had no reputation worth tarnishing.

“The content of the said letter and more so the demand herein is utter nonsense. I stand by justifiable every word of what I tweeted,” Ahmednasir said in the letter posted on Twitter.

“What reputation or character are you talking about?” he posed in the response to Kipkorir.

“What hatred, ridicule or contempt are you talking about,” he posed further, then sarcastically quoted the words of the American owner of Liverpool Football Club: “ What are you smoking over there?”

Wrote Ahmednasir, “You seem not to know that much about the minimalist and dwarfish standing of your client among the Kenyan society! As for the demand you make, you must be kidding.”

mugabe style

According to the demand letter by Kipkorir, some of the tweets by Ahmednasir read in part: “Where does one turn to when the Cabinet Secretary in charge of security Ole Lenku storms and takes over your land Mugabe style.”

Ahmednasir accused the CS of deploying GSU officers to the disputed land with the intention of grabbing it. “Yesterday and today Lenku with 500 Maasai warriors and 75 GSU officers took over by force Nguruman farm. He arrested all 76 workers,” alleged the lawyer on Twitter.

“Lenku is doing this because the farm is part owned by Kenyans of European decent. He called the owner and told them he will deport him.”

The tweets added: “This is what happens when a doorman in a 2 star hotel becomes in (sic) Cabinet Secretary in charge of his nation’s security.”

Responding Kipkorir wrote: “In using the said words, on their natural meaning, you meant and was understood to mean that our client (Lenku) is a criminal, unqualified to be Cabinet secretary and is misusing police for personal gain.”

Lenku claimed the tweets showed he does not respect the rule of law, court orders, engages in racial discrimination, is a land grabber, misuses police for personal gain, is a criminal and is not qualified for his Cabinet position. He demanded that Ahmednasir delete the tweets and all re-publications online and makes a public apology before they discuss damages.

The demand letter told Ahmednasir his tweets were intended to advance the cause of his client extra-judicially because he is representing Nguruman Limited in multiple cases filed by it in various courts in Kericho, Nairobi and Machakos.

“That the consequence of the said publication was intended to and did bring our client hatred, ridicule and contempt. The said publication discloses criminal offences by cyber-bullying, trolling, virtual mob justice, malicious publication and grossly offensive and false communication that violate the applicable provisions of the Penal Code Cap 63,” said Kipkorir in the letter.

The issue surrounds two plots that Ahmednasir claimed were grabbed by known individuals despite court orders stopping the same.

He later told The Standard he had evidence to back his words, and dared Lenku to have him arrested or move to court. Nguruman is the company embroiled in the dispute with the Maasai of Shompole, said it would return to court to protest the alleged invasion of its land by members of the community on Friday.