The courts have issued a new set of orders affecting journalists who would wish to cover the ongoing hearing of Senate Speaker Ken Lusaka's child upkeep case.
In orders published on Monday, Resident Magistrate F. Terer gagged media from covering the proceedings.
"A gag order id hereby issued to any print or electronic mass media in Kenya from accessing, publishing, airing, narrating or commenting/ writing or debating the case in any newspaper, journal, weekly magazine and TV or radio show or in any mode of communication of this case," the ruling read in part.
The Magistrate went on to outline specific media stations and the platforms on which they are not allowed to share details of the case.
"A gag order is hereby issued against the Nairobian, The Standard, The Nation, People Daily, The Star, Citizen, Daily Post, The Eye, Mzalendo, Meru County Focus newspapers, Word Press, Smartnewz, social media Facebook, Twitter and any other online publication from accessing, publishing or writing about the case in any matter.
"A gag order is issued to KBC (Coro FM) and all its affiliates radio and television stations, Royal Media Services (Muuga FM, Wimwaro FM and Inooro FM and all its affiliate radio and television stations), Kiss FM, Capital FM, Radio Jambo, Ghetto Radio, Classic FM, Kameme FM, Baite TV, Mwariama TV, Meru FM, Mugambo FM, Mwago FM, Weru FM from accessing, publishing or discussing about the case," the ruling dated July 13th, 2021 elaborated.
Lusaka's unborn child
Before the gag order, Speaker Lusaka had admitted to fathering the unborn child of a woman who had claimed to be his mistress, one Irene Naswa Mutaki.
Mutaki moved to court last month seeking orders to have the Speaker pay her Sh25 million as child support, in addition to a house of equal value to the one where the Speaker's other children reside.
While speaking during the mention of the case, Speaker Lusaka noted that he was also willing to buy the house for Mutaki and his unborn child.
The Senate Speaker further told the court that he and the woman had decided to settle the matter out of court.
"It’s not correct that my client can’t make prenatal expenses... That has been sorted… And we are saying let’s wait for the baby to be born… Who can buy a house within seven days?
"My client has advised me to tell the court that he’s engaging the lady concerning issues of birth maintenance… My client has an open mind… The issues of maintenance of the child will be addressed..." Speaker Lusaka posed through his lawyer.
Speaker Lusaka's Messy Affair
Mutaki moved to court in June claiming to have been three months pregnant and accusing the Speaker of neglect.
The woman claimed that she had been having an affair with Lusaka since 2018, the result of which had been the pregnancy.
"The respondent despite being a man of means he has refused, neglected, and ignored to take care of the applicant’s pre-natal clinics necessary to ensure the wellbeing of the unborn child.
"The respondent has neglected his responsibility and is not supportive to the applicant to enable the unborn child’s welfare be safeguarded," the woman claimed in papers filed by lawyer Danstan Omari.