Summary:
Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba donates the entire Ksh.9 million he was awarded in a defamation suit against Standard Media Group to the Ababu Namwamba Foundation on his 48th birthday, establishing an endowment fund to support vulnerable students and transformative youth initiatives.
Cabinet Secretary for Sports and Youth Affairs, Ababu Namwamba, marked his 48th birthday on December 23 by contributing the full Ksh.9 million awarded to him in a defamation suit against Standard Media Group to charity. The suit, relating to a 2018 story in The Nairobian newspaper (a Standard Group publication), ruled in favor of Namwamba, with High Court Judge Dorah Chepkwony supporting his claims.
In a statement, CS Namwamba declared, “Today, on my birthday, I donate the entirety of the Kshs 9 million to charity. As Ababu Namwamba Foundation (ANF) marks its 20th Anniversary, its Board of Trustees will receive the money to establish a revolving endowment fund to support fees for vulnerable students and to empower transformative youth initiatives.”
The defamation case, jointly filed by CS Namwamba and his brothers, sought restitution for the pain and shame caused by the false and malicious publications. While the awarded amount provides only a small measure of relief, Namwamba expressed solace in the admission by Standard Group that the published information was false.
Lady Justice Chepkwony, delivering the ruling, noted Standard Group’s acknowledgment that the stories were false, based on interviews with imposters. CS Namwamba found some comfort in this admission, emphasizing that the Ksh.9 million serves as a lesson for journalists to adhere to responsible reporting grounded in facts rather than malice or recklessness.
Reflecting on the case, Namwamba stated, “May the Kshs 9 million awarded to me as damages serve as yet another stark lesson to journalists and the media to maintain fidelity to the straight and narrow of responsible reporting anchored on fact and not actuated by malice or recklessness.” The case originated during Namwamba’s tenure as Chief Administrative Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, seeking accountability for a story that cast doubts on his moral character.