NAIROBI: Besieged blogger Cyprian Nyakundi was on Monday charged for statements that he posted on his blog that were considered defamatory towards National Bank of Kenya (NBK).
Mr Nyakundi had been posting allegations that NBK could close, and linking it to bribery allegations that he also cited involved the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK). Nyakundi’s blog is called Cnyakundi.com.
NBK has also sued Mr Nyakundi for defamation in a separate case and has obtained a court order barring the blogger from posting further articles.
“On diverse dates between May 25, 2016 and June 8, 2016 at an unknown place within the Republic of Kenya with intent to defame the National Bank of Kenya Limited in the form of articles in the Internet blog, namely Cnyakundi.com to wit; for as long as long as the regulator takes his sweet time…NBK will collapse in six months because Central Bank has been bribed to turn a blind eye,” the charge sheet reads.
READ MORE
House approves Arita as Deputy Central Bank governor
Top banks build Sh230b war chest for bad loans amid economic gloom
Mixed bag as Treasury's new tax plans go to the National Assembly
The blogger was arrested on Friday and taken to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters for questioning. Mr Nyakundi pleaded not guilty to charges of “publishing defamatory matter”.
Last week former Safaricom Chief Executive Michael Joseph and current head Bob Collymore went to court accusing the blogger of defamation. Nyakundi allegedly had penned libelous articles in his blog that went with such titles as ‘How Safaricom steals from Kenyans with third parties’, ‘Your privacy and Safaricom are two different things‘ and 'Time to put Safaricom back in its box before it seriously hurts Kenyans.”
