Court hits blogger Edgar Obare with Sh6M penalty over defamation case

A Nairobi court has ordered blogger Edgar Obare to issue a public apology and pay Sh6million in damages to businessman Kelvin Kaume Maingi and model Bernice Nunah, after finding him liable for publishing defamatory statements linking the two to an alleged affair. 

Principal Magistrate Hosea Mwangi Ng’ang’a delivered the judgment on November 7, 2025, ruling that Obare’s posts, shared on his Telegram channels and Instagram, were false, malicious, and had caused significant reputational and emotional harm to the two plaintiffs.

The lawsuit originated from a series of posts Obare made between December 1 and 5, 2022. 

In those posts, he alleged that Nunah was romantically involved with Maingi, whom he described as a “married sponsor.” 

The publications included photographs taken aboard a flight from Qatar to Nairobi, along with claims that Maingi's then-wife a media personality, was seeking a divorce based on alleged infidelity.

The court found that these statements, which were circulated to more than 100,000 followers across Obare’s channels, portrayed Maingi as an unfaithful husband and Nunah as a participant in the alleged affair. 

According to the judgment, these claims were false, unverified, and damaging to the plaintiffs’ reputations and emotional well-being.

In his defence, Obare claimed that he was practising “citizen journalism” and relying on anonymous contributors known as “bnnpaparazzi.” 

He also argued that his platform functioned as a form of digital newspaper.

However, the magistrate rejected this reasoning, ruling that his Telegram channel does not meet the legal definition of a newspaper and that he failed to verify the allegations with the involved parties.

The court held that Obare violated the plaintiffs’ constitutional right to privacy and acted outside the ethical practices required of journalists. 

It further noted that the publications appeared to be crafted for sensationalism and personal gain, showing a disregard for accuracy and fairness.

The court awarded Maingi Sh2 million in damages for libel and an equal amount to Nunah. 

Each plaintiff also received Sh1 million in exemplary damages. The total decree, including stated costs and interest, brings the sum to Sh6,096,658, as reflected in the accompanying certificate of costs.

The magistrate further ordered Obare to issue a full and unqualified public apology, withdraw all defamatory posts from his platforms, and circulate the apology on the same channels where the content was published. 

The court also granted a permanent injunction restraining him from publishing similar defamatory material about the plaintiffs in the future.