Kakamega woman representative, Elsie Muhanda, has filed a defamatory suit against Governor Fernandez Barasa, seeking Sh18 million in damages over alleged defamatory remarks made in public forums by the governor against her. Also sued are eight bloggers said to support Barasa.
In the case at the Milimani Law Courts, Muhanda accuses the governor of making statements portraying her as a drunkard and questioning her competence to hold a public office.
She is demanding Sh18 million in general damages for libel and slander, citing reputational harm, emotional distress, and injury to her political standing in society.
Muhanda is also seeking the court to compel the governor to retract the statements, issue a public apology with equal prominence, and delete any allegedly defamatory content already in circulation on social media or otherwise.
In her supporting affidavit, the woman rep claims the remarks made by Barasa are politically motivated and intended to undermine her standing in society ahead of the 2027 General Election in which she has expressed her interest in contesting the Kakamega gubernatorial seat against the incumbent.
She states in her affidavit that unless Barasa is restrained by the court, he may continue making the alleged remarks during political rallies and engagements, potentially escalating the damage to her public image.
On the sidelines, Kakamega County First Lady Prof. Janet Kassily Barasa has demanded a public apology and retraction over alleged defamatory remarks made by Muhanda against her husband.
Through her lawyers, Lutta & Company Advocates, Prof. Barasa accuses the legislator of making “false and malicious” statements linking her to the death of Caroline Khamete Ambale, the late principal of Kakamega County Polytechnic.
According to the letter, Muhanda, while addressing mourners, made statements in Swahili suggesting that Prof. Barasa had prior knowledge of the death and had interfered with the deceased’s body before the husband arrived.
The legal team argues that, in their natural and ordinary meaning, the statements implied that Prof. Barasa was responsible for or linked to the death, tampered with the body to conceal evidence, and may have committed a criminal offence.
The lawyers, through Kasamani, a respected law firm, further claim the remarks were politically motivated, noting that Muhanda is reportedly eyeing the Kakamega gubernatorial seat in the 2027 General Election.
They argue the statements were intended to discredit Prof. Barasa and, by extension, her spouse, the sitting Kakamega Governor.
The letter also accuses Kakamega County Communications Officer, Gabriel Wesa, of circulating a video of the alleged remarks on social media platforms, including TikTok, Facebook, and WhatsApp, thereby amplifying their reach.
The advocates describe Wesa as a “joint tortfeasor” in the matter.
Prof. Barasa is demanding an unequivocal public apology and retraction, to be published through the same channels used to disseminate the remarks.
She is also seeking a written commitment to cease any further defamatory statements, along with an admission of liability to pave the way for compensation.
