Sonko sues newspaper over HIV claims

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has sued the Star newspaper over a report implying that a High Court judge reviewed his jail term and subsequently released him in 2002 because he was HIV positive.

Sonko attached HIV test results in his suit papers filed on Friday indicating that he is negative while terming the claims by the publication as malicious.

The paper had suggested that Sonko was released from jail three months before completing his twelve-month sentence by late High Court judge, Samuel Oguk.

Sonko’s lawyer, Cecil Miller had written to Radio Africa Group demanding an apology over the story carried by the group’s daily on June 7.

He said actions by the Star amounted to character assassination costing his reputation, urging the court to find the publication liable for general damages and slander.

“The defendants are busy bodies motivated by mala fides (bad faith), cheap publicity and propaganda, personal prejudice and bias, misplaced vengeance and personal vendetta and unbridled greed to sell themselves which cannot sustain their attempts to practice competitive journalism and become decently recognizable without sensationalism, gutter journalism and habitual vulgarism of the worst kind,” the governor stated.