A Milimani court has ordered Radio Africa Group, radio presenter Massawe Japanni, and socialite Maureen Imbayi, popularly known as Black Cinderella, to jointly pay media personality Steve Thompson Magana (Oga Obinna) KSh6.1 million in damages for defamation.
The ruling, delivered on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, by Judge Edward Too of the Milimani Commercial Magistrates Court, brings to a close a defamation suit filed by Obinna over a 2024 interview aired on Radio Jambo, a station owned by Radio Africa Group.
Background: The Defamatory Interview
The controversy stems from an interview where Black Cinderella, appearing as a guest on Massawe Japanni’s show, made unverified allegations linking Obinna to a sexual assault.
According to court documents, neither the host nor the producers sought evidence to support the claims before airing them live and later publishing the interview on Radio Jambo’s and Japanni’s social media platforms.
Obinna told the court that the false allegations caused severe harm to his reputation, leading to both online and offline ridicule.
“The host and producers never asked for evidence but decided to air the story for views and likes,” Obinna said.
“Massawe had been my colleague at QFM and Radio Africa; she could have just asked me — she didn’t. I was called all kinds of names, and my brand was ruined. They never apologised.”
Following the broadcast, Obinna sued Radio Africa Group, Massawe Japanni, and Maureen Imbayi (Black Cinderella) for defamation.
Court’s Ruling
In his judgment, Judge Edward Too found the defendants jointly liable for publishing false and defamatory statements that damaged Obinna’s reputation.
The court ordered the trio to jointly pay:
- KSh5,000,000 in general damages
- KSh500,000 in aggravated damages
- KSh500,000 in damages in lieu of an apology
- KSh100,000 in exemplary damages
This totals KSh6,100,000.
The judge further observed that the defendants had failed to issue a retraction or apology, which aggravated the harm caused to Obinna’s reputation.
Significance of the Ruling
The ruling is being hailed as a landmark decision for media accountability and ethical journalism in Kenya. It underscores the responsibility of broadcasters to verify sensitive allegations before publication and reinforces individuals’ rights to protect their reputations from false reporting.
