Moses Kuria to pay Martha Karua Sh6 million for defamation

A court has ordered Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria to pay Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua Sh6.5 million for defaming her.

High Court judge Joseph Sergon yesterday also ordered Mr Kuria (below) to pay the cost of the case noting that the lawmaker's comments were malicious and meant to injure the former Justice minister’s good reputation.

“I award the plaintiff Sh5 million as general damages (and) Sh1.5 million as exemplary damages,” justice Sergon ruled.

Karua had asked the court for Sh20 million.

The court punished the legislator for linking Karua to Deputy President William Ruto's prosecution at the International Criminal Court.

The former Gichugu MP said Kuria was unapologetic as he held a press conference at Parliament Buildings and reiterated the same words he had uttered at the rally.

The judge noted that there was no truth in Kuria’s claims and that he never bothered to apologise to her.

In the case, the court heard that the MP claimed that the Orange Democratic Movement and Party of National Unity leaders planned to fix the Deputy President.

He made the remarks during a prayer rally in Kapsokwony, Bungoma County.

The legislator had claimed that he and other PNU leaders fabricated evidence against Mr Ruto after 2007-2008 post election violence.

At the Justice and Constitutional Affairs docket, Karua told the court, she was diligent in her work and that she had built a good name among her peers.

Karua noted that Kuria’s statements injured her reputation by implying she was not a trustworthy public servant, politician, businesswoman, advocate and family person.

She denied being involved in bribing people to testify against the DP.

“Unless the defendant is compelled by this honourable court to cease from maligning my name and further injuring my reputation, I stand to suffer irreparable harm from his reckless and unwarranted attack on my integrity on grounds which he cannot substantiate,” Karua said.

In reply, Kuria argued that Karua had not filed sufficient material to show that she had been defamed.

He argued that what he had said was a reflection of the truth of past events which took place with his knowledge and that of the former minister.

“I am merely stating factual matters which the plaintiff (Karua) cannot dispute,” he argued.