The High Court has barred former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko from publishing statements that defame Canada-based lawyer Miguna Miguna, while a Sh75 million compensation claim proceeds, Daily Nation reports. Justice Kennedy Kandet issued the restraint pending the outcome of the suit, which arises from a social media broadcast.
According to Daily Nation, the court found that Mr Sonko had not supplied any factual foundation for particular allegations tying Dr Miguna to the contested statements, which concerned criminal conduct. Mr Sonko had argued that his remarks were answers to earlier accusations made against him.
The ruling also addressed a specific claim in the dispute. The court stated that no information connects the police to the alleged arrest and extradition of Twaha Mwaipaya, according to Daily Nation.
Why it matters
The decision places a court-ordered limit on what a prominent Kenyan politician can say publicly about a lawyer who has lived outside the country for years and who has repeatedly clashed with state authorities. It also shows how Kenyan courts are treating defamation claims that originate on social media, where a single broadcast can reach a wide audience before any correction is possible.
For Dr Miguna, the order offers interim protection while his claim for Sh75 million in damages is heard. For Mr Sonko, it sets a boundary on commentary about a political figure he has publicly feuded with. The case adds to a growing set of disputes in which Kenyan public figures turn to the High Court over statements made online rather than in traditional media.
What the judge found on the allegations
The central issue before Justice Kandet was whether Mr Sonko had grounds for the specific claims he made about Dr Miguna. The former governor's defence rested on the position that he was responding to accusations previously levelled at him, rather than making fresh allegations of his own.
The court did not accept that framing as sufficient. Daily Nation reports that the judge found no factual basis had been provided for the particular allegations linking Dr Miguna to the contested statements on criminal conduct. That finding underpinned the decision to restrain Mr Sonko from further publication while the case continues.
The ruling did not resolve the underlying claim for damages. It instead freezes the situation: Mr Sonko is prevented from repeating the statements at issue until the court has determined the merits of the suit.
The Mwaipaya allegation
Separately, the court addressed an allegation concerning Twaha Mwaipaya. Justice Kandet stated that there was no information tying the police to the alleged arrest and extradition of Mr Mwaipaya, according to Daily Nation.
That finding forms part of the same dispute over the social media broadcast. The court's conclusion on this point was recorded as part of the ruling that led to the restraint on Mr Sonko.
A long-running public feud
The suit is the latest stage in a public dispute between two figures who have each occupied a prominent place in Kenyan public life. Mr Sonko served as governor of Nairobi and remains an active voice in national politics. Dr Miguna, a lawyer who lives in Canada, has been a frequent critic of successive administrations and has faced legal battles with the state over his citizenship and his attempts to return to Kenya.
Their quarrel has played out largely in public statements and online broadcasts rather than in private correspondence, which is why the current case centres on what was said in a social media broadcast and what could be justified as a response to earlier attacks.
What to watch
The High Court must now hear the substantive claim for Sh75 million in compensation. Until then, the restraint on Mr Sonko remains in force, and any further statements he makes about Dr Miguna will be measured against the court's order.
