Wanjigi sues Nation Media Group over false obituary

Businessman Jimi Wanjigi has sued the Nation Media Group over the publication of his obituary on the Daily Nation newspaper of February 7, 2018.

In a joint case, Wanjigi and his wife, Irene Nzisa are seeking compensation for what they term as a violation of their fundamental rights and freedoms by NMG.

The two also want the media house barred from further publishing private details about them or those of their children.

“The Respondents intended to achieve multi-pronged benefits from the said grotesque death announcement; violate the fundamental rights and freedoms of the Petitioners; convey a chilling death warning and ultimately economically profit from the public interest the said grotesque publication was intended to generate,” reads the court document.

After the incident occurred, NMG issued a statement apologising for the erroneous publication and even published CCTV footage showing the man who allegedly booked the obituary.

The media house invited the public to help in identifying the suspect, whom they described as being “in his mid-thirties, of brown complexion, plump, about 5 foot 10, with a full beard and short hair.”

However, Wanjigi, on February 8, claimed that NMG was used as a messenger by powerful forces “perpetuating injustices” in the country to pass a death threat to him.

In the court documents Wanjigi says the death announcement “was designed and borrowed from a tactic used world over by killer squads to torment, psychologically torture their targets, display their private information to members of criminal gangs across the globe with a view to further advance the criminal enterprise and whenever appropriate enhance a bounty.”

Wanjigi says his family members, including his aging father, mother and siblings were tormented by the said publication and were subjected to psychological torture and trauma as a result of the said publication.