The once fairytale love story of Bonfire Adventures founders Simon Kabu and Sarah Mtalii has now become a sizzling, no-holds-barred courtroom and online showdown.
What began as a power couple living large and posting almost every aspect of their lives, has spiralled into a chaotic mess of allegations, tears, defiance, and jaw-dropping bombshells that have left tongues wagging all across Nairobi’s cocktail circuits.
At the heart of the storm is Simon Kabu’s daughter Maureen Wambui Kabu, at least that’s how Simon introduces her. But Sarah, the once-glowing queen of luxury getaways and now the fierce face of solo healing, is having none of it.
Through her lawyer, Sarah dropped a legal grenade, claiming Maureen is not Simon’s daughter but his lover.
Sarah went further to allege that the young woman now lives in their former matrimonial home and has allegedly been showered with gifts, including company vehicles.
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Moral matter
But Simon, the sharply dressed CEO with a larger-than-life online presence and signature “Jabo Jabooo” catchphrase, clapped back.
“To Simon Kabu fans... Jabo jabooo… I have kept quiet amidst all this and as you know I have never said anything but when you touch my child, I have an obligation as a father to protect and mentor my children. My children will always be my children, and I will ensure they all succeed,” he declared.
Simon did more than defend his daughter. He reminded his followers that no child chooses their origin and hinted, without naming names, that this was not just a family matter, it was now a moral one.
“No child chooses to be born where they were born. When you leave a place, heal and just move on. No jealousy or person will make me stop mentoring my bloodline. And my defamation case is still being built. Truth will always prevail! May God bless #thekabu,” he concluded.
With that, the stage was set.
Public apology
The court, already pulled into the family war zone. Justice Janet Mulwa recently gagged Sarah from making any further defamatory posts against her estranged husband.
Justice Mulwa’s order bars her, her agents, bloggers, or any mouthpiece acting on her behalf from publishing anything remotely damaging about Simon until the defamation suit is heard and determined.
Lost clients
The judge also ordered Sarah to take down previous defamatory posts, offer a public apology, and steer clear of any press briefings.
It was a win for Simon and his legal team, led by Judith Kamoing, who painted Sarah’s social media campaign as a calculated attempt to ruin Kabu's business and reputation.
The judge noted that Simon’s reputation had taken a hit and his company had lost clients in the fallout.
One internal memo that went viral in December 2024, circulated in a staff WhatsApp group with over 150 members, accused Simon of mismanagement, adultery, corruption, and even life-threatening acts of domestic violence.
In one particularly chilling moment captured in court records, Sarah claimed Simon was capable of “forced abductions, disappearances, and killing of dissenters within the company”.
Sarah also accused Simon of starting a rival company with his daughter to siphon clients and staff money.
And the footage? More drama.
From CCTV clips of company meetings to TikTok videos and Instagram posts, both parties have turned the fight into a multimedia saga.
Cryptic post
In one video from November 21, 2024, Sarah confronted staff, claiming Simon had gone rogue and was working from the inside to destroy what they had built.
Then came her December press conference, where she described Simon’s alleged domestic violence as “life-threatening.”
In a cryptic flight selfie she posted recently, she captioned it: “Don’t wait to die; plan your exit well. Tough times never last, but tough people do.”
She added, “DM me your stories. Today, I have dedicated my day to supporting women in toxic marriages.”
In the comments section, she lit up her followers with more insights: “Sometimes you might run that family to the grave or the mental hospital. I am living my best life now. Say no to toxic marriages.”
She left no stone unturned, no emotion untouched. “I am so happy single. I regret not leaving earlier,” she wrote.
Lover or lineage?
But just when you thought things couldn’t get messier, Maureen’s entry added to the unending drama.
In a bold, possibly calculated move, Maureen posted cosy photos of herself with Simon. From beachside moments in Zanzibar, the daddy-daughter bond was strong, or was it? Online sleuths were not sure.
While some fans rallied around the two, praising their closeness, others weren’t buying it. The optics, they argued, did not help, especially with Sarah pushing the narrative that Maureen is more lover than lineage.
To add more spice, Maureen even introduced her mum online, showing off her genes and leaving the internet comparing photos of her with Sarah’s kids.
Was it a subtle ‘we are family’ message or a power move meant to solidify her place in the Kabu empire?
This isn’t the first time the Kabus' marriage has been marinated in public scandal. In 2021, Sarah left their matrimonial home, accusing Simon of kidnapping their children.
She claimed Maureen, then a stranger to her, was with the kids, something that shook her to the core.
Yet, in a TikTok video that’s making rounds, Sarah now concedes that Simon had children before their marriage.
“It is not another family. He had a relationship with someone, and they had a daughter. He also had a relationship with someone else, and they had a son. So by the time I was getting married, I was aware of them,” she said, looking composed but visibly wounded.
As the legal fireworks continue, Simon wants more than just peace of mind. He’s seeking aggravated damages for defamation, malicious falsehood, and the emotional scars left by his former partner’s attacks. He’s also demanding a permanent gag order.
“The defendant should compensate the plaintiff for mental anguish and embarrassment suffered,” reads his court filing.