Deputy Prime minister Uhuru Kenyatta has told a court that a local television station helped the Prime Minister Raila Odinga in spreading false statements he made against him concerning post election violence.
Uhuru who was testifying in a defamation case he has filed against KTN said the reports which linking him to post-election violence had damaged his reputation.
The story aired by the TV station on January 3 2008 had portrayed him before the public as a mass murderer, he said. Led in his chief evidence by Deseterio Oyatsi, Uhuru further accused KTN of negligence saying that the station failed to verify the truthfulness of Raila’s statement.
Asked why he had not sued Raila, he said that he was in the process of instituting a defamation suit against the PM. The Deputy Prime Minister argued that it was the duty of KTN to verify the accuracy of the statements before airing the utterances by the PM.
The TV station shoul also have sought his side of the story before running the PM’s side, but never bothered to do so, Uhuru said. Uhuru who was testifying before High Court Judge Kalpana Rawal added that the article linked him to Mungiki, an outlawed gang which was accused of perpetrating the post election violence.He however denied any association with Mungiki.
But while being cross examined Uhuru agreed that the issue on the post election violence is of public interest.He however added that, anything touching on the post election violence ought to be handled with great care and the truth be verified by the media before carrying reports accusing anyone.
The deputy PM wants the court to award him damages. KTN has pleaded defence of qualified privilege as it was information coming from another party.
It also said the statement by Odinga was Orange Democratic Movement’s position.The hearing resumes on April 4.
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Busia untreated water being pumped from river Sio Plant to the resdents of Buia town and its environs. Je huu ni ungwana<
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