Veteran Radio Citizen presenter Fred Obachi Machoka has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Kileleshwa Member of County Assembly (MCA) Robert Alai, demanding a public apology over defamatory remarks concerning his health status—or face legal action.
Through his lawyer Danstan Omari, Machoka accuses Alai of making malicious and unfounded claims in a Facebook post published on Saturday, May 3. In a demand letter, the broadcaster wants Alai to retract the statement and issue an unequivocal apology.
The remarks in question were made during a heated online exchange between the two, centered around Machoka’s public support for former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i’s presidential ambitions.
In the controversial post, Alai wrote in part:
“I feel your ethnic rage. It’s just ethnic. Your problem is the supply of ARVs, not the Presidency… Does HIV bring insanity nowadays?”
Machoka maintains that the statement was false, defamatory, and made with clear malicious intent. According to his lawyer, the comment damaged Machoka’s personal and professional reputation, and its impact was worsened by Alai’s public profile and large online following.
“These statements are categorically false, unsubstantiated, and were disseminated with clear malice aforethought,” Omari stated in the letter dated Monday, May 5. “They have caused irreparable harm to our client’s reputation.”
The letter also condemned the remarks as discriminatory and harmful to ongoing efforts to combat HIV-related stigma.
In addition to an apology and full retraction posted with equal visibility, Machoka wants Alai to accept liability and cease making any further defamatory comments.
“Failure to comply will result in immediate legal proceedings to pursue all available legal remedies to protect my client’s reputation,” Omari warned.
