File image of Gloria Orwoba
Former nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba has been ordered to pay Ksh10.5 million in damages for defaming Senate Clerk Jeremiah Nyegenye.
Milimani Commercial Court Magistrate Ruguru Ngotho, in ruling on Monday, said Orwoba’s social media posts accusing Nyegenye of sexual harassment were defamatory, malicious, and unsubstantiated.
Ngotho dismissed Orwoba’s argument that the remarks were protected under parliamentary privilege, noting that they were not made within the confines of Parliament.
“The words complained of were not uttered within the precincts of Parliament and cannot benefit from qualified privilege,” Magistrate Ngotho said.
“It is clear that even before making her statements, the Defendant was aware that she could not substantiate the allegations. Her main aim was to put her allegations in the public domain and have the plaintiff prosecuted in the public court.”
Nyegenye, through his lawyer Peter Wanyama, told the court that the false allegations had harmed his career, damaged his reputation, and strained his family life.
The court awarded him Ksh8 million in general damages, Ksh2.5 million in exemplary and aggravated damages, and an additional Ksh1 million in default damages if Orwoba fails to issue a public apology.
The court directed that the apology be published on her WhatsApp status, Facebook, and X account, as well as in a newspaper of national circulation.
Additionally, the content of the apology must be approved by the plaintiff
The court also issued a permanent injunction prohibiting Orwoba and her associates from publishing or republishing any defamatory content about Nyegenye.
Nyegenye filed the suit against Orwoba in September 2023, citing repeated defamatory posts and widely shared audio and video clips uploaded on social media.
