Ole Lenku Leads Harambee for Journalist in Explosive Ksh16M State House Defamation Battle

Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku has announced plans to spearhead a public fundraising drive for a local journalist ordered by the court to pay Ksh16 million in a defamation case filed by State House Comptroller Katoo Ole Metito.

Speaking outside his office on Wednesday, May 27, Lenku revealed that the journalist and his family had already begun selling family land in a desperate attempt to raise the massive court-awarded damages.

According to the governor, the sale of several parcels of land has still failed to generate enough money to settle the debt, forcing the family to seek intervention from the county leadership and local community.

“And today I received a report on the preparations for that Harambee event, which will take place on Friday. The family is ready, and different groups have already started contributing goats, sheep, and some money to help save the young man,” Lenku said.

The governor vowed to stand with the journalist, arguing that the punishment imposed on him contradicts traditional Maasai methods of resolving disputes between elders and younger members of society.

“We will stand with this family and this young man to show that the path taken is not in line with our traditions,” he added.

The journalist reportedly landed in legal trouble after publishing a social media post that Metito deemed defamatory. Following the lawsuit, a court in Ngong ordered the journalist to pay Ksh16 million in damages—a figure that has since sparked public debate across Kajiado County.

Lenku confirmed that the fundraising event will take place on May 29 and urged the family to immediately stop selling their land, assuring them that the county leadership and residents would mobilize resources to support them.

However, Metito has responded defiantly to the planned Harambee, insisting that none of the money collected will personally benefit him.

In a statement posted on his social media accounts, the State House Comptroller said all funds raised would be deposited directly through the court process before being redirected to community development projects.

“All funds raised by Lenku and his associates on the 29th will be deposited directly with the court. Absolutely no portion of these funds will go to my pocket or personal benefit; the money will go entirely back to the people where it came from,” Metito stated.

He further claimed that the funds would be used to address critical shortages in healthcare, water supply, and education within Kajiado County.

“I will designate these funds entirely to substantial community projects to address severe deficits in health, water supply, and basic education caused by nine years of Kajiado County’s administrative mismanagement,” he added.

The escalating standoff now appears to be spilling beyond the courtroom into the political arena, with reports indicating that Metito is preparing a bid for the Kajiado gubernatorial seat in 2027 amid a worsening fallout with Governor Lenku.

The public fundraiser is expected to intensify political tensions in the county, with supporters framing it as a fight against oppression, while critics view it as a dangerous politicisation of a court ruling.