Sports and Youth Affairs Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba celebrated his 48th birthday on December 23 by donating Sh9million.
The CS noted that all the money awarded to him in a defamation suit against Standard Media Group would go to charity.
He settled on his foundation, the Ababu Namwamba Foundation to be the trustee of the funds.
The foundation runs several initiatives to support vulnerable students and the youth.
“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,” read a statement released by the CS.
The CS who was the Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the time, alongside his brothers John, Thomas, Peter Okochi Adochi, and Pastor John Osimbo successfully took on the media giant in court over a story published in one of Standard Media Group’s publications.
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“No amount of money could ever sufficiently restitute me and my family for the horrifying pain, odium and public shame occasioned by the irresponsibility and recklessness of the false and malicious publications.
“May the Sh9 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 CS noted.
Ababu's pursuit of Sh67million and Standard Media Group's blunder
In the suit that was settled in favour of the CS by Lady Justice Chepkwony, the CS sought a total of Sh67 million from the company.
This was broken down into Sh50 million in general damages, Sh12 million in punitive and exemplary damages, and an additional Sh5 million in aggravated damages.
The Judge noted that the media house published the piece believing that the story was true but later discovered that the interviewees were imposters and had given a false narrative that informed the publication.
“It is a tiny measure of relief for the utter horror endured in the five long years the wheels of justice have ground on. But it is well,” Ababu added, noting that his brothers were equally subjected to shame and pain.