Nairobi, Kenya — The Milimani Commercial Court has ordered Senator Gloria Orwoba to pay Senate Clerk Jeremiah Nyegenye Kshs. 10.5 million in damages for defamatory social media posts that falsely accused him of soliciting sexual favours.
Delivering the judgment, Magistrate Ruguru N found that Orwoba defamed Nyegenye via multiple social media platforms — including WhatsApp status updates, Facebook videos, and posts on X (formerly Twitter) — in which she alleged that the Clerk demanded “sex for work.” Hashtags such as #ImpeachNyegenye and #NoSexForWork were found to be malicious and injurious to Nyegenye’s character.
The court emphasized that Orwoba provided no proof of her claims and failed to report the alleged misconduct to authorities, opting instead to air the accusations publicly. “To only state that the Plaintiff made sexual advances without proof is not sufficient,” the court held, stressing that her conduct was driven by malice and intended to cause reputational harm.
Nyegenye testified that the viral nature of the allegations caused him immense personal and professional humiliation, with international coverage including reports by the BBC. A senior parliamentary officer corroborated that the claims had negatively impacted Nyegenye’s standing and morale within the institution.
The court awarded:
- Kshs. 8 million in general damages for defamation,
- Kshs. 2.5 million in aggravated and exemplary damages,
- Kshs. 1 million additional penalty if Orwoba fails to publish a court-approved public apology within 30 days.
The apology must appear on her WhatsApp, Facebook, and X accounts, as well as in a national newspaper. Additionally, the court issued a permanent injunction restraining Orwoba from publishing any further defamatory statements against the Clerk.
The ruling sends a clear warning about the dangers of weaponizing social media to air unverified allegations, particularly in sensitive matters like sexual harassment, and reaffirms the importance of due process and evidentiary standards.
