Does an editor at the Nation Media Group want businessman Jimmy Wanjigi dead? Wanjigi has filed a lawsuit against the the Group’s paper, Daily Nation for an obituary that appeared in the paper faking his death.
Mr. Wanjigi now wants the media company to pay him Ksh. 100 million for infringement of his privacy.
Appearing before High Court judge Wilfrida Okwany, the businessman told the court that the fake obituary caused him mental anguish and also affected his children as it printed their details including where they lived and schooled.
His Lawyer, Willis Otieno, said that the fake obituary published in the Daily Nation was a death threat to his client and his children too who could be tracked down by assassins.
Mr. Otieno likened the case to that of the British pop star, Cliff Richard Obe who sued the British Broadcasting Cooperation (BBC) for tainting his status when it claimed that he was supposed to be investigated for sex allegations.
“Richard was famous in UK and the plaintiff has a status. He (Wanjigi) is a billionaire and we can produce statements as proof,” said Mr. Otieno.
Mr Otieno argued that the disclosure of his family’s whereabouts was a breach of Wanjigi’s private life.
The media house has however denied the allegations by Mr. Wanjigi saying that that although the photograph in the obituary resembled that of Wanjigi, the names were of a different person, a Mr James Richard Wanjagi.
As for the privacy and the businessman’s home, Nation Media Group argued that a police raid that was carried out earlier already revealed its whereabouts.
The businessman is not taking the matter lightly and assured the media house that he would come after company and ‘finish’ it.
“It’s a death promise, we are coming for you, we assure you we are going to finish you. I see the Nation media as being part of a conspiracy of premeditated murder, I don’t see it any other way,” Jimmy Wanjigi said.
The judgement will be delivered on April 10, 2019.
Do you think the Wanjigi has enough evidence to sue the media house?