Ex-Sports CS Echesa sues Seth Panyako, Obinna TV over defamation

Former Sports CS Rashid Echesa wants Panyako and Obinna TV restrained from publishing what he terms as defamatory statements against him. [File, Standard]

Former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa has moved to court seeking orders to restrain Malava parliamentary by-election loser Seth Panyako and digital media platform Obinna TV.

He wants them restrained from publishing what he terms as defamatory statements linking him to murder, arson and violence during the November 2025 by-election.

In an urgent suit filed before the Milimani Chief Magistrate’s Commercial Court, Echesa sued Panyako as the first defendant, Obinna TV Extra and Obinna TV trading as Obinna TV Studios as the second defendant, and Obinna TV Ltd as the third defendant.

Echesa is seeking court orders to bar Panyako from making further claims and to stop Obinna TV from airing and republishing a YouTube interview in which he describes as false and malicious allegations portraying him as a criminal, murderer, arsonist, or instigator of violence.

"Pending the hearing and determination of this suit, a temporary injunction be issued restraining the defendants from making or repeating any statements, allegations, or insinuations of a similar nature portraying the plaintiff as a criminal, murderer, arsonist, or instigator of violence," Echesa seeks.

The dispute stems from a live broadcast aired on December 4, 2025 titled “OBINNA SHOW LIVE: THEY TRIED TO KILL ME – SETH PANYAKO,” which aired shortly after the hotly contested Malava Constituency by-election.

Panyako vied for the seat under the DAP-K party but lost.

According to court documents, Panyako appeared on the show and allegedly made grave criminal accusations against Echesa, which were broadcast live and later published across Obinna TV’s digital platforms, including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and WhatsApp.

In the plaint, Echesa states that during the broadcast, Panyako falsely alleged that he led armed gangs and police officers during election violence in Malava.

Echesa, who currently serves as Chairman of the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, categorically denies all allegations.

In his supporting affidavit, he states: "I have never at any time led, commanded, or participated in any violent group, criminal activity, arson, or unlawful conduct."  

Echesa argues that the statements were false, malicious and presented as facts, not opinion, thereby exposing him to public hatred, ridicule and contempt.

The former CS argues that the broadcast, which garnered over 100,000 views on YouTube alone, was amplified by Obinna TV's massive following of 643,000 YouTube subscribers and 1.3 million TikTok followers, guaranteeing widespread reach.

Echesa accuses Obinna TV  of exercising editorial, production, and operational control over the broadcast yet failing to verify allegations, seek his response, or take down the content despite formal demand.

"My reputation as a former Cabinet Secretary and current Chairman of a national statutory body has been gravely damaged, public confidence in my leadership has been eroded," Echesa swears in his affidavit.

In his application, Echesa is seeking a mandatory injunction compelling the defendants to immediately take down, delete, retract, and permanently remove the impugned broadcast and all related clips, excerpts, captions, thumbnails, and references from all platforms within their control.

Through his lawyers, Kimani & Company Advocates, Echesa is seeking a declaration that the defendants' acts were defamatory, a permanent injunction restraining them from publishing further defamatory statements, general and aggravated damages, and an order compelling publication of an unqualified retraction and unconditional public apology in a daily newspaper.

Court documents indicate that Echesa issued a demand letter on December 5, 2025, which the defendants allegedly ignored, demonstrating what he terms "express malice and reckless disregard for the truth."

Senior Principal Magistrate Felix Makoyo directed that the application be served on the respondents and set the matter for an inter-partes hearing on January 22, 2026.