Morara Kebaso barred from making statements about Borabu MP Patrick Osero

The Keroka Magistrate's Court has issued temporary orders barring activist Morara Kebaso from making or publishing statements about Borabu Member of Parliament Patrick Osero pending the hearing of a defamation suit filed against him.

In a ruling delivered on Thursday, Senior Resident Magistrate Ismael Stanley Imoleit granted interim injunctive orders restraining Kebaso from making a range of public statements concerning the legislator, although the court declined to certify as urgent an application filed by Osero on July 1.

The court directed that Kebaso be served with the application by the close of business on July 3, with the matter set for mention on July 29.

Pending the hearing of the application, Kebaso, his agents, associates, employees, digital content creators, ghostwriters and anyone acting on his behalf have been barred from publishing, broadcasting, uploading, reposting or sharing statements identified in the court order through social media, print or broadcast media.

Among the prohibited statements are claims describing Osero as a former Member of Parliament or suggesting that his tenure as Borabu lawmaker has ended.

The court also barred Kebaso from claiming or implying that he is the current, acting or de facto MP for Borabu Constituency.

Further, the orders prohibit him from alleging that Osero has never attended or participated in National Assembly proceedings, making what the court termed false or misleading claims regarding National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) allocations and expenditure in Borabu Constituency, or alleging that all NG-CDF contractors in the constituency are owned by one individual in a manner that implies corruption by the MP.

The magistrate also prohibited Kebaso from making what the court considers false or defamatory statements about Osero during public gatherings, church meetings, podcasts, media briefings, press conferences or any other public forum.

The orders further restrain him from directing or facilitating third parties to publish or disseminate such statements on his behalf.

The court warned that any violation of the interim orders could attract legal consequences.

The orders will remain in force pending the hearing and determination of the application, with further directions expected when the matter comes up for mention on July 29.