Blogger Robert Alai sues for defamation

Controversial blogger Robert Alai has sued a publishing firm which he accuses of publishing a defamatory article against him.

In court documents seen by Citizen Digital, Alai accuses Headlink Publishers Limited of running a story on their weekly publication, Weekly Citizen, titled ‘City blogger now pain in the neck’ which, he says, was meant to paint him in bad light.

Alai says the article was meant to portray him as a person engaging in “dishonest and corrupt business practices, an extortionist, an unethical and unscrupulous person who engages in fraudulent, criminal and illegal activities.”

“You falsely and maliciously wrote and printed and published and distributed or caused to be written, printed, published and distributed the said article while knowing fully well that the allegations of and concerning our client are untrue,” reads the document drawn by Were and Oonge Advocates.

“Our instructions are to demand from you as we hereby do an immediate withdrawal of the defamatory words and an unqualified apology.”

Alai further threatens to proceed with appropriate proceedings against the paper if the article is not withdrawn and an apology tendered to him within three days of serving the publishing firm.

In the article, the publication termed the controversial blogger as “an extortionist who demands money with menaces from senior government employees, parastatal bosses and private sector managers with threats of posting dirty stories touching on their character on his blog.”

The article claimed that Alai – through his online platform Kahawa Tungu – threatens “his victims” with damaging exposés if they fail to pay him huge sums of money.

According to the story, the prominent blogger demanded Ksh.400, 000 from managers at the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) so as not to post a damaging story on the corporation and, when they declined, he allegedly posted the story.

The publication further linked Alai with trying to extort top managers and board members of the National Social Security Fund as well as Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Raila Odinga’s son, Raila Junior, both of whom allegedly refused “to succumb to blackmail.”

Following the publication of the story on the Weekly Citizen edition of June 18 -24,  a local daily reported that Alai stormed the offices of the publishing house and destroyed their equipment including computers, scanner and printer.

The paper’s editor, Tom Alwaka – who is mentioned in Alai’s suit – is said to have reported the matter at Central Police Station accompanied by his lawyer Winston Ngaira.

However, speaking to Citizen Digital on phone, Alai claims he did not destroy any equipment and that he has not received any police summons.

“I visited them the way you would visit someone, I did not destroy anything. If you have seen those images, that computer is not even destroyed…those people just removed the CPU cover and took pictures,” says Alai.

“I have not received any police summons. If I did I would honour them,I’m not someone who runs away from the police.”

In a statement seen by Citizen Digital, Alai says, “As someone who has lived with police officers and understand the important role of law enforcers, I have always cooperated with them when required to.”

“I have never shown any need to disregard or disrespect police or court summons. I have never even waited for my lawyers to appear at any police stations since I greatly respect police officers.”

The outspoken blogger further stated that he would appear before the office of DCIO Central Police station as soon as possible if indeed it is true that he has been summoned.