LEFT: Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti RIGHT: The accused Donald Nzau The Machakos Chief Magistrate Court has granted the release of an individual, identified as Donald Mwendwa Nzau, on a cash bail of Ksh.200,000 or a bond of Ksh.50,000, following allegations of attacking Governor Wavinya Ndeti in a WhatsApp group.
The charge sheet stated that the accused, an online radical, had threatened to reveal the identities of the young men with whom the governor allegedly had intimate relations.
The case has sparked a significant amount of public debate and discussion, with many online activists dismissing the charges as frivolous and unwarranted.
Some netizens have argued that criminal defamation was abolished in Kenya, hence Nzau’s arrest and arraignment are an abuse of the justice system.
It is our view that Governor Wavinya Ndeti should utilize the proper channels and seek legal action for defamation, rather than relying on the resources of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the police.
This is the appropriate course of action for anyone who feels aggrieved by defamatory statements made against them.
Nzau’s arrest and arraignment is an abuse of public resources.
The ODPP and police should focus these resources on more pressing and serious matters, rather than being wasted on such minor issues.