Kileleshwa Member of County Assembly (MCA) Robert Alai is facing a defamation lawsuit filed by The Star Publication Limited following a controversial post shared on his social media platform.

The post was a reaction to a front-page story published by The Star, which exposed the alleged torture of blogger Albert Ojwang at Karura Forest. In his response, Alai accused The Star’s Editorial Director, Paul Ilado, of fabricating the story and further claimed that staff members within the publication had questioned its authenticity.

The Star and Ilado have dismissed Alai’s allegations as false, malicious, and defamatory, asserting that the statements have severely damaged both the publication’s and Ilado’s reputations.

“The imputation that Mr. Paul Ilado fabricated a news story and acted without evidence or integrity amounts to an egregious attack on his professional reputation and ethics. Further, the assertion that The Star’s own editorial team is questioning his conduct is a deliberate and unfounded misrepresentation designed to discredit both Mr. Ilado and The Star Publications Limited, in which he is an Editorial Director,” reads court documents.

The Star Demands Apology as Alai Faces Second Defamation Suit

The Star Publication Limited and its Editorial Director, Paul Ilado, have demanded that Kileleshwa MCA Robert Alai take down a defamatory post he published on social media and issue a clear, public, and unreserved apology to both the publication and Mr. Ilado.

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In addition, the plaintiffs have instructed Alai to immediately cease and desist from making any further false, defamatory, or disparaging remarks about them.

This legal action comes amid a growing trend of online attacks by Alai against members of the media. The MCA has recently drawn criticism for repeatedly targeting media professionals through controversial statements shared online.

Just last week, veteran Citizen TV host Fred Machoka also filed a defamation suit against Alai, accusing him of spreading false information about his health. Machoka described the allegations as malicious and defamatory and is seeking Ksh. 60 million in damages.