Pull down video and apologise, Governor Mutua tells Boniface Mwangi

Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua and activist Boniface Mwangi.

Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua has written to activist Boniface Mwangi demanding that he pull down a video that went viral earlier today.

In a letter seen by Standard Digital Mutua’s lawyer Harrison Kinyanjui says Mwangi's video injures the reputation of the governor.

He said Mwangi should have contacted the governor for clarification prior to the publication.

Kinyanjui said, “These words are defamatory of Governor Alfred Mutua and were meant to libel and defame our client as a duly elected Governor of Machakos County and he is a leader of good standing of repute, and the implications touch on his leadership abilities and qualities of a person seeking to be elected in Kenya as the President in the forthcoming 2022 general election, and implicating his business involvement and trans-world networks in business, singly and in partnership with others.”

Lawyer Kinyanjui has demanded that the activist pull down the video from his social media pages by the end of today and publish an apology.

“Your said defamatory publication was sensationally, falsely, maliciously posted and published further on your Twitter Account and was clearly calculated at lowering the estimation of our client in the eyes of your Twitter followers, Facebook Account followers and readers, both locally and internationally ….”

Police are investigating circumstances surrounding the destruction of Mwangi’s incomplete five-bedroom house in Lukenya, Athi River, Machakos County.

Mwangi told The Standard that two unidentified men arrived at the construction site at 9pm yesterday aboard a white double-cabin vehicle and rounded up his workers before destroying the incomplete building.

“Some of the workers had left the premises to buy dinner. Upon returning, they were rounded up alongside their colleagues by the attackers, who planted the improvised explosive devices in several drainage pipes. The devices went off, partially destroying the foundation,” Mwangi said.

The activist claims the aggressors were armed with rifles and “bombs” during the night raid. The Standard couldn’t independently verify whether the said-destructive devices were indeed bombs as alleged by the complainant.

“One of them kept watch while pointing the gun at the workers as the other engaged in the destruction,” he said.

The 38-year-old suspects a senior politician, with whom he has a sour relationship, is behind the attack.

In the video that has since gone viral, Mwangi says, "Yo... Alfred Mutua … I am not afraid of you.

You blew up my house, it's just a physical thing... You can blow it up … a house we've worked so hard with my family to build.”

Mwangi went on, “But God will serve me justice, man. God...”

Lawyer Kinyanjui said the publication of the video on Twitter and Facebook was meant to injure Mutua’s reputation.