Nairobi News

NewsWhat's Hot

Bidco boss sues controversial blogger Nyakundi

By HILARY KIMUYU September 3rd, 2015 2 min read

Controversial blogger Cyprian Nyakundi is in deep waters again. Weeks after he was sued by Safaricom for defamation, the blogger has been served with a law suit by Bidco Oil Refineries.

In a paid advertisement that appeared in the Daily Nation Cyprian Nyakundi, Aly Khan Satchu, Artem Gurevitch, Preston Menenhiall, Stephen Jennings and RG African Land Limited have been sued for defamation by Vimalkumar Bhimji Depar Shah as the first plaintiff and Bidco Africa Limited as the second plaintiff.

The two plaintiffs filed their civil case on 31st August 2015 in Milimani Court Civil Division through their advocate’s, Wandabwa Advocates.

Aly Khan Satchu is a renowned banker and investor. Since 2003 Aly-Khan has been trading his own funds primarily Commodities (particularly Oil) Currency Futures and Options, Equity Indices and Single Stocks.

He is also an active investor at the Nairobi Stock Exchange, The USE and various other African Stockmarkets. He is the author of the book Anyone Can Be Rich based on the NSE and the Kenyan Economy.

The 6 defenders are required to appear in court on September 10, 2015 for inter partes hearing. In the event tht they fail to to attend the hearing, the case will proceed in their absence.

The court has in the meantime ordered the blogger and the other defenders to erase and remove from their various posts, websites, blogs or any other forms of electronic and social media of any form or nature whatsoever the said defamatory words, statements, or content or any similar words or statement or content.

They court has also ordered Twitter and Google to assist in effecting the aforesaid order.

AUDIO RECORDING

In August an incriminating audio recording emerged online capturing how two social media bigwigs attempted to extort millions of shillings from Bidco Oil Refineries as a condition to retrieve a series of tweets and blog articles that had allegedly exposed corruption and land grabbing in the company.

The recording captured a conversation in which a blogger with a huge following on Twitter commits to deleting all negative content in exchange for Sh50 million.

The deal was brokered by radio presenter Christian Dela, popularly known as Xtian Dela, on behalf of blogger Cyprian Nyakundi.

The plaintiffs asked to be allowed to serve Nyakundi and the other 5 defenders through the newspapers saying it was hard to trace him as he has no known permanent address.

Last month the blogger posted a series of tweets claiming that unknown people had been trailing him for the past few weeks and even attempted to kidnap him at his Lang’ata house.

He claimed the group had traced him to Lang’ata using his mobile phone line and phone serial number, but only managed to “arrest his cousin after failing to get” him.

He has been into hiding and only surfaced last week and started tweeting again. Nyakundi is one of the most popular bloggers in Kenya with a Twitter following of more than 518,000 people.

He shot into national fame when he was suspended by Meru University for exposing rot at the university, with Kenyans on Twitter calling for a lifting of the suspension.