This archive report was first published on 6 August 2019.
On August 6, 2019, a Kenyan court awarded renowned journalist Tony Mochama Sh9 million in damages in a defamation suit.
The case stemmed from allegations of sexual harassment made by two women, Shalja Patel and Prof Wambui Mwangi, against Mochama in 2014.
According to court documents, the alleged incident occurred during a lunch meeting at the home of one of the accusers, where Mochama was discussing the Africa Poetry Book Fund with its founder, Prof Kwame Dawes.
However, Magistrate A. Obura ruled that there was no concrete evidence to support the allegations, stating, 'There was no concrete evidence that the plaintiff ever molested or sexually assaulted the defendants at the respective time they allege.'
As a result, the court ordered the two women to apologize to Mochama through the court within 14 days.
Mochama expressed his satisfaction with the ruling, saying, 'I am also happy they will apologize to me after all the shenanigans, it is fulfilling.'
He had previously stated, 'Much as they may prefer a trial through Twitter and other 21st century forms of witch hunting… Jesus was falsely accused and crucified. I refuse to follow his noble example. Slap me, but do not expect me to meekly turn the other cheek.'
