18 December 2009
Nairobi — The Standard newspaper has been barred from publishing anything defamatory against Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta.
Mr Kenyatta won the first round of a legal battle after High Court judge Hatari Waweru restrained the Standard from writing stories on importation of VW Passat cars for government officials.
The judge's decision arose out of an application made by Mr Kenyatta following a series of stories on the car imports.
The judge said the allegations in the stories were grave. In his view the reports implied that the minister was corrupt and unfit to hold public office.
"I'm satisfied that the defamation complained of is obvious, atrocious and wholly unjustified," said Mr Justice Waweru.
He faulted the Standard for failing to produce evidence it intends to use at the trial stage to prove its story was correct.