A Nairobi court has awarded media personality Steve Thompson Magana, popularly known as Oga Obinna, Sh6.1 million in a defamation case filed against Radio Africa Group, radio host Massawe Japanni, and social media personality Maureen Imbayi, also known as Black Cinderella. The ruling comes after unverified allegations about Obinna were aired during a 2024 interview on Radio Jambo, which later circulated widely online.
The case originated from an interview hosted by Massawe Japanni, where Cinderella accused Obinna of sexual misconduct. The claims were neither verified nor supported by evidence, but the broadcast and subsequent social media sharing amplified public scrutiny and backlash against Obinna.
Obinna expressed that he was blindsided by the broadcast, noting that he and Massawe had previously worked together at QFM and Radio Africa Group. “The host and the producers never asked for evidence but decided to air the story for Views and Likes or whatever reason. Masawe had been my colleague at QFM and Radio Africa; she coulda just asked me, she didn’t,” he stated.
The fallout from the interview significantly damaged Obinna’s reputation. He said he was subjected to public ridicule, his professional brand suffered, and the defendants failed to issue any apology. Feeling his credibility had been unfairly tarnished, Obinna pursued legal action instead of publicly confronting the allegations.
Magistrate Edward Too ruled that the allegations were defamatory and that the defendants failed to exercise due diligence. The judgment emphasized that Massawe, having previously worked with Obinna, had reasonable means to seek clarification before airing the claims. All three parties were found jointly liable for the defamation.
The Sh6.1 million award was structured as follows:
- Sh5,000,000 in general damages for injury to reputation and emotional distress.
- Sh500,000 in aggravated damages due to the airing of unverified claims with disregard for potential harm.
- Sh500,000 in damages in lieu of apology, reflecting the defendants’ failure to retract the statements or issue a public apology.
- Sh100,000 in exemplary (punitive) damages, aimed at discouraging similar conduct and reinforcing media responsibility.
The ruling underscores the importance of fact-checking and responsible reporting in the media, highlighting the consequences of spreading unverified claims that damage individual reputations.
