Njue loses bid to gag media from covering Hospital, School dispute

By Pamela Chepkemei

NAIROBI, KENYA: Cardinal John Njue has lost a bid to stop the media from covering a case between him and a catholic priest over the ownership of a mission hospital.

The court said the cardinal had not convinced the court through his application seeking to lock out the media.

The High Court in Nairobi also refused to allow the case resolved through arbitration.

High Court Judge, Hatari Waweru ruled that the case will be determined by the Court.

He dismissed Cardinal Njue’s application.

Father William Charles Fryda of the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers Society has accused Cardinal Njue of interfering with the running of the St Mary's Mission hospital and high school in Nairobi.

The hospitals are located in Langata Nairobi and Naivasha.

The priest claims that Cardinal Njue and a catholic nun, Marie Therese Gachambi of the Assumption Sisters have attempted to take over the hospital unlawfully.

The judge said the court has no authority to send the matter for arbitration without the consent of both parties.

Justice Waweru also declined to stop the media from covering the proceedings of the case.

He said no convincing reasons had been advanced to bar the media from covering the case.

The cardinal had told the court through his lawyer that, the Catholic faithful would be prejudiced by any negative media reflection of the church.

He asked the court to block any reports both in print and electronic media because the matter had already attracted adverse publicity

Father Fryda who is the founder of the institution has accused Cardinal Njue   and Sister Gachambi of trying to kick him out with an aim of taking over the property.

The priest says in the court documents that  he single handedly sourced for funds to buy the parcels of land and construct the institutions after getting a go-ahead from his Catholic order, the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers Society.

Father Fryda who is a medical doctor came to Africa in 1980 as a missionary doctor and first worked in Tanzania before coming to Kenya in 1991 where he worked at the Nazareth hospital in Kiambu.