April 5, 2019

Summary

South Sudanese politician and former Sudan People’s Liberation Army commander, Daniel Awet Akot, has sued The Nation Newspaper for slander, following a story published on the paper that linked him to Monica Kimani’s murder in 2018. Joe Irungu “Jowie” and his Tv anchor fiancée Jackie Maribe were later charged with the murder.

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South Sudan Politician Sues Daily Nation Newspaper For Slander Over Slain Businesswoman Monica Kimani

South Sudan Politician Sues Daily Nation Newspaper For Slander Over Slain Businesswoman Monica Kimani

South Sudanese politician and former Sudan People’s Liberation Army commander, Daniel Awet Akot,  has sued The Nation Newspaper for slander, following a story published on the paper that linked him to a 28-year-old Kenyan businesswoman, who was murdered at her Nairobi apartment in 2018.

Awet Akot, through his Kenyan lawyer, Donald Kipkorir, argues that in it’s October 3, 2018 edition, The Daily Nation Newspaper published a slanderous article against him alleging that he used his position of influence as Governor of Bahr el Ghazal State to enrich the late Monica Kimani.

In a petition filed at the Milimani Law Courts, Awet Akot is seeking damages from Nation Media Group, as well Chief Executive Officer Stephen Gitagama, then Editor-in-Chief Tom Mshindi, and Executive Editor Mutuma Mathiu.

In the article titled; ENTER THE GENERAL: HOW MONICA KIMANI MADE A FORTUNE IN JUBA, which was still available on the Daily Nation’s website by the time this article was published, the paper wrote that, “Close relatives and friends had claimed that Ms Kimani was married to Mr Akot, and that it is through this connection that the family’s fortunes have improved over the past three years,”.

“In 2013, the source said, just a year after Ms Kimani graduated from the Kenya Polytechnic, Mr Ngarama invited her to Rumbek, where she got a job in the Governor’s (Awet Akot) office. The governor liked her so much that she was always accompanying him and she rose through the ranks in his office,” The Nation wrote.

The paper went ahead to say that “Monica Kimani’s father Paul Ngarama, had dismissed claims that his daughter was married to Daniel Awet Akot, but admitted that the politician is “very close” to the family”.

The Nation also reported that Ngarama said Akot helped him establish numerous churches in Rumbek, Juba and other parts of South Sudan.

“Mr Ngarama established the Rebuilding Apostolic Faith Mission Church, and opened branch after another with the help of the governor,” he said. The church currently has branches across East Africa,” The article reads in part.

The body of Monica was found in a bathtub by her brother, with her throat slit and her hands tied to the back.

Joe Irungu “Jowie” and his Tv anchor fiancée Jackie Maribe were later charged with Monica’s murder.

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