NAIROBI — Veteran broadcaster Fred Obachi Machoka has taken Nairobi politician Robert Alai to court, accusing him of posting false and damaging claims online.
Machoka, known across Kenya for his long-running Roga Roga radio show, filed the KSh 60 million defamation suit at the High Court on Monday. His lawyer, Danstan Omari, said the claims shared by Alai on Facebook were not only untrue but “deliberately harmful.”
At the centre of the storm is a Facebook post made by Alai on his verified account, where he allegedly wrote:
“@Fred Obachi Machoka OGW I feel your ethnic rage. It’s just ethnic. Your problem is supply of ARVs not Presidency… Does HIV bring insanity nowadays?”
The post tagged Machoka’s official profile, leaving little doubt about who was being targeted.
Omari says the accusations—suggesting Machoka is HIV positive, mentally unstable, and tribal—are “entirely baseless” and have seriously damaged the reputation of a man who has worked in media for nearly five decades.
Speaking through a sworn affidavit, Machoka firmly denied all the claims. “I am HIV negative. I have never taken antiretroviral drugs. I have never been diagnosed with any mental illness,” he said.
He also addressed the allegation of tribalism: “In all my years in media, I have never promoted hate or ethnic bias. I’ve always stood for national unity and peace.”
According to the court documents, the Facebook post reached thousands of people, thanks in part to Alai tagging Machoka’s account, which has over 480,000 followers. Machoka’s team argues that this significantly boosted the post’s visibility, worsening its impact.
“This was not just a random post,” said Omari. “It was a targeted attack on a respected public figure.”
Alai, a well-known blogger and current Nairobi MCA, had not responded publicly to the claims by the time of publishing.
The case has stirred fresh debate about the power—and danger—of social media in Kenya. Legal experts say it could set a new standard for how public figures hold others accountable online.
“This lawsuit isn’t just about Fred Machoka,” said Njeri Mwangi, a media law lecturer at the University of Nairobi. “It’s about what lines we can’t cross, even on our own Facebook pages.”
Kenya has seen a growing number of digital defamation cases in recent years. While freedom of speech is protected under the Constitution, the law also protects individuals from harmful falsehoods.
The High Court is now tasked with deciding whether Alai’s post went too far—and whether it warrants the hefty KSh 60 million in damages Machoka is seeking.
For now, the veteran broadcaster remains hopeful that the court will restore what he calls his “hard-earned dignity.”
