By Suleiman Mbatiah
A legal showdown is taking shape in Nakuru County after Governor Susan Kihika issued a notice of intention to institute defamation proceedings against Senator Tabitha Karanja over remarks allegedly made during a church service on December 21 last year.
In a demand letter dated January 8, 2026, the Governor, through her lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi, accuses the senator of making false, malicious, and disparaging statements that portrayed her as having misappropriated public funds to construct a family-owned hotel worth billions of shillings.
The senator allegedly claimed that county funds were diverted to build a hotel near the Nakuru State House, raising allegations of corruption and national security concerns because of the facility’s proximity to a protected government installation.
Kihika said the statements falsely implied that she used Nakuru County resources for private gain and engaged in unlawful and fraudulent conduct. She dismissed the claims as reckless, unsupported by evidence, and a gross distortion of facts intended to damage her reputation.
“Ordinary and reasonable members of the public would think ill of our client and regard her as corrupt, contemptible, and unfit for office,” Ahmednasir stated in the letter, adding that the remarks lowered Kihika’s standing both locally and nationally.
The lawyer further argued that the statements were not framed as questions or calls for investigation, but were presented as established facts, crossing the line from legitimate political discourse into unlawful defamation.
The Governor firmly denied ever misappropriating public funds or using county resources for any private or family-owned business, describing the allegations as “false beyond comprehension.”
Kihika maintained that the remarks were driven by malice and a deliberate attempt to damage her political standing and commercial reputation. Her lawyer says the claims have caused serious reputational harm and undermined public confidence in her office.
Through her advocates, the Governor is demanding corrective action, failure to which she will pursue legal redress, including aggravated and exemplary damages, injunctive relief, and any other remedies the court may deem fit.
“It is our instructions to demand, which we hereby do, that you immediately and unconditionally retract your false remarks, as well as immediately admit liability and confess publicly to all Kenyans at large that malice was the motive of your remarks,” Ahmednasir stated.
Kihika also demanded the issuance of a formal and public apology to her and the public with the same prominence as the Senator’s original statements, as well as refrain from any further publication, endorsement and or repetition of the se or similar allegations against her.
Ahmednasir warned that failure to comply within seven days would trigger legal and constitutional action without further notice, including civil defamation proceedings seeking general, aggravated and exemplary damages, injunctive orders, and any other relief the court would consider fit.