MP demands Sh100m over defamation

Kakamega Deputy Governor Ayub Savula addresses broad-based government leaders from Western at Golf Hotel in Kakamega on January 5 /HILTON OTENYO

Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera has demanded a public apology and Sh100 million in compensation from Kakamega Deputy Governor Ayub Savula over remarks he allegedly made linking the MP to the death of former Manyuki Secondary School principal Simon Isiaho.

Isiaho died under unclear circumstances in November last year.

When contacted, Savula confirmed he had received the demand letter but dismissed it. “I don’t respond to such nonsense,” he said.

In a demand letter dated January 14, Nabwera’s lawyers, Danston Omari and Associates, say Savula made the remarks during Isiaho’s burial at Ludodo village in Likuyani sub-county on November 25.

The lawyers describe the statements as “vicious, inaccurate, derogatory and defamatory,” arguing that they were politically motivated and intended to tarnish the MP’s reputation.

According to the letter, Savula is also accused of making references to Nabwera’s health status without factual basis, which the lawyers say was “extremely injurious to his leadership, mentorship, political and multinational career.”

The demand further calls on Savula to acknowledge making statements that, the lawyers claim, could influence ongoing court cases, raising concerns about a possible breach of the sub judice rule.

The letter notes that, as a widely followed political figure and a former two-time Lugari MP, Savula’s remarks carry far-reaching implications.