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The High Court in Nairobi ruled to award Linda Okello, a former police officer, Ksh 6.5 million in damages. She sued the Standard Media Group for a photo of her published in 2014.
Linda Okello sued the media house (Standard Group), its subsidiary publication, The Nairobian, and two journalists within the media group. They were sued for publishing a side profile photo of the policewoman on duty in a tight skirt.
She accused the media house of degrading her by sharing her image and using the image for commercial gain and or publicity. She filed the case through her lawyer, Tom Ojienda, in 2014.
“Judgement be and is hereby in favour of the plaintiff against the defendants jointly and severally in the sum of Ksh Six million, five hundred thousand shillings, together with costs of this suit and interest at court rates from the date of this judgement until payment in full,” court papers read.
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The ruling was dated August 17 and instructed the Standard Media Group, The Nairobian Newspaper, and the two publishers to pay Ksh 6.5 million for defamation. Justice Ongeri issued a mandatory injunction for the defendants to publish an apology to the plaintiff.
The court then issued a permanent injunction restraining the defendants from publishing the defamatory words or innuendo deemed libellous to the plaintiff.
Linda Okello’s Published Photo
Okello became the subject of conversation among Kenyans after the photo was released. Many commented on the appropriateness of her dressing. In addition to that, she became subject to memes countrywide due to the published photo.
In 2016, she was demoted from a corporal to a constable over graft allegations during a crackdown on bribe-taking police officers in Kiambu. She later sued the police Inspector General at the time (Joseph Boinnet) for wrongful dismissal. She claimed she didn’t have a chance to respond to the allegations made.
Okello quit the force soon after and relocated to the United States.
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