High Court dismisses Sakaja’s bid to gag media over protest coverage
The judge rejected the plea, ruling that the orders sought would amount to a prior restraint on press freedom.
The High Court in Nairobi has dismissed an application by Governor Johnson Sakaja seeking orders to stop media houses and journalists from publishing stories linking him to violence during the June 17 Gen-Z protests.
Sakaja, in a suit filed on June 19, 2025, accused a media company and its journalists of defaming him through a publication that carried his photograph alongside statements allegedly portraying him as a sponsor of the chaos.
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He told the court that the report had tarnished his reputation and argued that, unless restrained, the defendants might continue republishing similar stories in the future, particularly during anniversaries of the anti-Finance Bill demonstrations.
The judge, however, rejected the plea, ruling that the orders sought would amount to a prior restraint on press freedom.
The defendants opposed the application, arguing that their reporting was a fair account of events and statements made during the protests.
In his ruling, Justice Nixon Sifuna noted that the issues raised would be resolved at the full trial but declined to issue the interim injunction sought by the Governor.
The defamation suit will now proceed to a full hearing.
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