The Star Newspaper Sues Robert Alai

Kileleshwa Member of County Assembly (MCA) Robert Alai has been sued by The Star Publication Limited over a defaming post published on his Facebook page. 

In the said post published on June 12, 2025, Alai criticised the Radio Africa Group publication’s front page article narrating the torture of influencer Albert Ojwang at Karura forest, accusing Radio Africa Group Editorial Director Paul Ilado of fabricating the story without evidence.

"The Star Editorial Director, Paul Ilado, imagined and crafted this story and wrote it without any evidence to it. Even his own editors and sub-editors are questioning his motive," stated Alai in the post.

"But people are desperate to ride with the popular narrative. I am not, and so I maintain that justice cuts both ways. DIG Langat must not be condemned unheard and through the crafted stories without a head or tail."

Cover page of The Star newspaper dated June 12, 2025. /THE STAR

However, Ilado in response, termed Alai’s comments as false, malicious, and defamatory. Through the publication's lawyers, Ilado accused the county legislator of discrediting the Westlands-based media house.

“The imputation that Mr. Paul Ilado fabricated a news story and acted without evidence or integrity amounts to an egregious attack on his professional reputation and ethics.

"Further, the assertion that The Star’s own editorial team is questioning his conduct is a deliberate and unfounded misrepresentation designed to discredit both Mr. Ilado and The Star Publications Limited, in which he is an Editorial Director,” reads court documents seen by Viral Tea.

The newspaper publication is thus demanding that Alai pull down the post and publish an express, unambiguous and unqualified apology to it and Ilado, within 24 hours of receiving the demand letter.

Alai has also been demanded to cease and desist from publishing any further false, defamatory or disparaging remarks about The Star.

"That you admit liability for defamation, the reputational damage and distress suffered by my clients. That pursuant to (4) above, you pay to my clients a proper and suitable amount as damages for the immense injury to my clients’ reputation, loss and damages arising out of your unsanctioned and unlawful action to publish and publicize false and malicious information and for the embarrassment and distress unjustifiably caused to them," added the letter.

Alai was warned that failure to respond positively by Wednesday, June 18, to the demands would lead to "requisite legal proceedings against you without any further notice or reference to yourself, at all times holding you liable for costs, thereby incurred and all consequences arising therefrom."

The Kileleshwa MCA has recently been targeting media practitioners through claims made on social media. Last week, renowned radio presenter Fred Obachi Machoka sued Alai over defamatory remarks regarding his health status.

Just like this matter, Machoka termed Alai’s claims as false, defamatory. Obachi, widely recognised for his long-running show Roga Roga on Citizen TV, demanded Ksh 60 million in damages.

In court filings, he alleged that Alai shared false and defamatory statements on his verified Facebook page, specifically targeting Machoka and damaging both his personal and professional standing.

The contentious post, which mentioned Machoka’s official Facebook account, stated in part:“@Fred Obachi Machoka OGW I feel your ethnic rage. It’s just ethnic. Your problem is the supply of ARVs, not the Presidency…Does HIV bring insanity nowadays?”

Through his lawyer, Danstan Omari, Obachi contended that the post was unequivocal in its target, as Alai explicitly named and tagged Obachi, leaving no doubt about whom the allegations were directed at.

Obachi claimed that the statements were not only false but were made with clear malicious intent to damage Machoka’s reputation in the public eye. In a sworn affidavit, he firmly denied the accusations, declaring that he is HIV-negative, has never used antiretroviral drugs, and has never been diagnosed with any mental health condition.

He also questioned the legitimacy of Alai’s claims, arguing that it is both medically and legally improper to publicly assert or speculate about someone’s health status without verifiable medical proof.

Collage of Robert Alai and Fred Obachi Machoka. /VIRAL TEA KE